Lopez and Dragic!!

[gumpspeed]

Lopez, He show'd me the same over under move Oden did against the Lakers, but Lopez was more explosive( he jumped vertical outside of the key). He show'd a bank shot and dunked a couple of spoon feeds like Oden and Bynum does. He bolcked a few shots(threw Gasol's shot off of the floor) and altered some as well. The one thing you can't overlook is his effort. He is always moving(he runs really well), I don't care how unorthodox it looks. I was done with him, but now I wan't to see what he can do with STARTERS!!! He is only a rookie. What would have happened if Bynum got dumped in his rookie year???

Dragic, his defense has been really good lately, he was all over CP3 on Wed, 4 stls vs Memp. His stroke is pure. He looks more comfortable with the ball running the point now. He is a big, (4 rebs in 23 mins) and FAST guy (did you guys see him go after that deflection???). He is looking to PASS FIRST, 7 asst (should've been 8, sorry Tucker blew a layup). He spoon fed two dunks to RoLo, after breaking down the defense. They just need to play like the other rookies. The problem is they have Nash and Shaq ahead of them. I don't think Kerr did that bad of job scouting these guys.

Kerr made one huge mistake, PORTER. I think he is a good judge in talent, see Lou!! I feel the maturing of Lopez, Dragic and Dudley (a lifetime bench player) will give us flexibility in this draft. We might be able to draft an upside guy like Aminu and get a steal in this years draft.


What do you guys think??

[chrice]

Lopez still needs some serious improvement to his game. The second spot on the depth chart was waiting for him to take it, but he couldn't break the rotation. That says something. From what I've seen, he lacks aggressiveness for his size, has awkward technique, and doesn't have a feel for where he is on the floor. His bball IQ seems to be significantly lower than his brother's. His offensive game will take time to develop, unless he is one of those gym rats that practices 6 hours a day 7 days a week and can make it sprout overnight. Based on what I've seen, he looks like a Diop or Varejao best case scenario. Hopefully by saying all of this I'm jinxing him, and he proves me wrong and becomes a future HOFer.

[Inconspicuous]

lopez needs to work on polishing his offense. he has a habit of going up for layups very weak and soft, he needs to copy shaq and go up strong everytime. also, he misses too many gimmees around the rim, easy shots layins that are an easy two but he doesn't have the touch nor the hands for it. funny enough, he's been hitting those turnaround fadeaways in the post off the window and doing those nice spin moves, so i guess he likes making the tough shots and missing the easy ones.

dragic has improved a lot. before he used to be bullied by other PGs when he brought the ball up, now he's putting his head down and getting to the rim. his shooting has improved, he's got more confidence, and he's running the offense better. i see him being a kirk hinrich clone if he bulks up a little in the offseason, a combo guard that can run the offense and also shoot & score when needed

[gumpspeed]

I know Lopez needs work as does ODEN and as BYNUM did. Lopez has shown signs a can be a STARTING center if he keeps improving. He has more ability than Diop and Varejo....Way more. He needs to slow his roll when he is close to the rim, that is an easy adjustment. The thing no one is talking about is, he is too small or to slow........That he wouldn't be able to change. I would love to see him play with the starters for the rest of the season, playing horrible bball or not!!

We as Suns fans are looking for the next Shaq, I am looking for a starter how can finish around the rim on put backs and against smaller centers, as well play man to man defense against the top offensive centers in the league. He has the size and ability.

[tigerblood]

I know Lopez needs work as does ODEN and as BYNUM did. Lopez has shown signs a can be a STARTING center if he keeps improving. He has more ability than Diop and Varejo....Way more. He needs to slow his roll when he is close to the rim, that is an easy adjustment. The thing no one is talking about is, he is too small or to slow........That he wouldn't be able to change. I would love to see him play with the starters for the rest of the season, playing horrible bball or not!!

We as Suns fans are looking for the next Shaq, I am looking for a starter how can finish around the rim on put backs and against smaller centers, as well play man to man defense against the top offensive centers in the league. He has the size and ability.

Fro has upside, and he has shown little glimpses of a base to build upon. He really needs to focus on pulling down boards more than anything. His rebounding has not been good.

Dragic I have more confidence in, I think he will be good and his defense is encouraging. His shot will continue to improve.

I expect Drags and Lopez to come back ready to play next season and to both have solid rotation minutes.

[JohnVancouver]

Lopez just needs to get some aggression and part of that would be going up strong and dunking the damn ball in offensive rebound situations or from passes deep in the lane, rather than these delicate little shots he puts up and misses. For god's sake he can reach up and touch the rim -

But yes, like Dragic we're seeing now what the scouts saw in both these guys. Lopez I still think is weak and there's others I would rather we'd taken but to be fair, if both of them had been playing for gentry from the start we'd have a much better idea of what they can do. Porter was just terrible for managing minutes and giving the kids some burn.

[gumpspeed]

Lopez...11 Rebs!!! Dragic 8 assts!!! Lopez fumbled 2 away. He needs to slow down, but he showed a soft touch from 12 feet for the second game in a row. I think he can be a good defender and rebounder and not be an offensive liability.

Dragic could have had 9 assists if not for Tucker bricking layups. Go right young Dragon and finish right, then you will be much better... I LOVE THE DEFENSE!!!

[eastsidecrossover]

I think best case Dragic is a Beno Udrih type of PG. IM nost seeing much beyound that. Lopez needs to focus on D and rebouding. That is the main reason why he was drafted by the suns. Hes brother is so far ahead of him it is funny. I think they have a future, but as starters when this team has returned to being a playoff team???? Im not holiding my breath if they are we make the playoffs.

[ma_falaa_50]

I dont like it when people project players after only seeing them play after their rookie year. It was an up and down year for both guys. I think both players has a lot to improve on and has alot to build upon. Lopez if he bulks up and builds some strength may be a valuable comodity to the suns. I do not think Dragic is going to be like Beno Udrich. I think Dragic will be his own type of player.

I think that calling Robin Lopez a horrible rebounder is unfair. I think the reason his numbers are low is because he is very aggressive at trying to challenge the shooter.I think Dragic is a good rebounder and I hope for this year's draft ( if the suns have a pick) draft a young player that are like these guys.

I am anxious to see what happens next season. I am interested in seeing the amount of improvement, if any, from Dragic and Lopez.

[lilfishi22]

Dragic definitely has shown us what Kerr saw when he was scouting. He's got good defensive instincts and is a decent rebounder at his position. He does need to work on his strength though, it'll help him finish at the rim better, allow him to use his body more to repel good defenders when he's dribbling up top and also he'll have a stronger body to defend with. I think he can be a starter in this league if he can keep improving his shoot, defense and also his leadership.

Fropez . . . he needs work. I admire his aggressiveness on the defensive end, but he really has to play smarter. He always seems to lag behind a step or two when coming for help defense and his timing seems to always be off when going up for rebounds. If he can work on his timing and quickness this off-season I can definitely see him being a solid contributor to our team. His offensive game will need more time but it will come to him as he progresses in his career.

[jolbin]

I think best case Dragic is a Beno Udrih type of PG. IM nost seeing much beyound that. Lopez needs to focus on D and rebouding. That is the main reason why he was drafted by the suns. Hes brother is so far ahead of him it is funny. I think they have a future, but as starters when this team has returned to being a playoff team???? Im not holiding my breath if they are we make the playoffs.

Well, the difference between rookie seasons of Beno and Gogi is quite big; Gogi is actually already showing up, what Udrih wasnt able to do even in his sophomore season
Gogi is much more talented, plays great defence, but has two major downsides;
- Shooting - can improve that with hard work
and specially ball handling

They are both Slovenians, but are quite different types of players

[rsavaj]

I think best case Dragic is a Beno Udrih type of PG. IM nost seeing much beyound that. Lopez needs to focus on D and rebouding. That is the main reason why he was drafted by the suns. Hes brother is so far ahead of him it is funny. I think they have a future, but as starters when this team has returned to being a playoff team???? Im not holiding my breath if they are we make the playoffs.

Well, the difference between rookie seasons of Beno and Gogi is quite big; Gogi is actually already showing up, what Udrih wasnt able to do even in his sophomore season
Gogi is much more talented, plays great defence, but has two major downsides;
- Shooting - can improve that with hard work
and specially ball handling

They are both Slovenians, but are quite different types of players

Is Gogi his nickname in the Euroleague?

[jolbin]

I think best case Dragic is a Beno Udrih type of PG. IM nost seeing much beyound that. Lopez needs to focus on D and rebouding. That is the main reason why he was drafted by the suns. Hes brother is so far ahead of him it is funny. I think they have a future, but as starters when this team has returned to being a playoff team???? Im not holiding my breath if they are we make the playoffs.

Well, the difference between rookie seasons of Beno and Gogi is quite big; Gogi is actually already showing up, what Udrih wasnt able to do even in his sophomore season
Gogi is much more talented, plays great defence, but has two major downsides;
- Shooting - can improve that with hard work
and specially ball handling

They are both Slovenians, but are quite different types of players

Is Gogi his nickname in the Euroleague?

Well, not in Euroleague, but in Slovenija mostly; That is how he is called by his friends and now also fans
Euroleaguean players mostly dont have any well known nicknames, like NBA players, specially not young players on a not so well achieving team, like Gogi was the case
He played only one season of Euroleague, but he played it quite ok..

[b-ball forever]

Well, the difference between rookie seasons of Beno and Gogi is quite big; Gogi is actually already showing up, what Udrih wasnt able to do even in his sophomore season
Gogi is much more talented

Dragic IS NOT more talented then Udrih at all! There's a reason that Dragic got drafted in the 2nd round of the draft while Udrih went down in the first...
Dragic has better defensive skills and is quicker then Udrih, but Udrih has always been a significantly better ballhandler, playmaker, and shooter. Udrih also had/has the edge on B-Ball IQ and the ability to run an offense.

Just FYI, Udrih was considered to be one of the best Euro prospects (along with Gasol/Parker/AK47) during his junior years, some scouts even thought he was gonna be the top Euro point-guard prospect ahead of Parker in the early 2K's. Dragic on the other hand isn't, and never was considered a top tier Euro prospect.
Udrih's problem isn't talent, he's got plenty of that. His problem is that he's too lazy, is injury prone, and never worked on refining his skills and body/conditioning that much.


Anyways, Dragic improved for sure and is looking a lot better then he did early now, but don't expect him to become anything more then a solid backup on a playoff caliber team, else you'll be disapointed (he's a 2nd rounder after all).

When we drafted him there were some peeps who drank the Steve Kerr koolaid and thought we had our future starting PG, I said he was gonna become a solid backup combo guard that brings defense and energy off the bench.
When he went on the court playing like a drunk rag doll and earned his "Tragic" nickname everybody thought his NBA career was gonna be over as soon as his contract was up, I said he was gonna become a solid backup combo guard that brings defense and energy off the bench.
Now that he's put a decent stretch together peeps are thinking he might become a decent player, I still say that he's gonna become a solid backup combo guard that brings defense and energy off the bench.

He'll never be a starter on a good team since he'll never be a good enuf ballhandler or be good enuf at running an offense to start @ PG on a playoff caliber team, and he lacks the size/scoring and shooting ablity it takes to be a starting SG on a solid team. He could become a very usefull backup combo guard tho.
Unlike dumbass Kerr thought, Dragic is VERY far away from being the 2nd best PG of the draft. Besides Rose, Westbrook/Bayless/Augustin/Chalmers/Kyle Weaver are and will always be better then him.



Robin Lopez - Hopefully he'll become Varejao part deux, but he has a very long way to go just to reach that level. For a guy that's supposed to be more of a finished product then a prospect, he's still very raw and unskilled. Hustle is nice, but u also need some type of talent to go with it. He hasn't even been doing OK on the boards most despite his height!

Kerr F-ed up bigtime by choosing Lopez no matter what. He may have FINALLY put a couple decent games together, but Speights/Hibbert/Mbah a Moute/Hickson/Deandre Jordan/Batum/Chalmres/Hill/Weaver/McGee/Koufos have all shown a lot more promise then him over the course of the season, and they all got drafted after Lopez.

Good to see the Rooks finally playing OK, but Kerr still made a big mistake by overhyping Dragic, and also by drafting a prospect with a low celling @ 15 in a deep draft.

[Miklo]

I'm pretty much with everyone on this thread. I see some good potential in Dragic, although I wouldn't be TOTALLY shocked if he ends up being a starter in the future.

Lopez. I've been thinking about this one for the last few days - even after seeing that 11reb game, I can honestly say that I'm not sure he'll stick around in the NBA for too long. His weaknesses, things like timing etc, are things that are very hard to work on and improve. I guess what I'm saying is given his awkward build and very poor IQ, I don't even know that he becomes a Varejao. And for most teams, having a "poor man's Varejao" means a DLeague player would be an upgrade. I do hope I'm wrong, I love to see rookies develop but I've been worrying about this for some time.

[gumpspeed]

Like I said yesterday, if you can't see that Lopez has athleticism, then you can't see. Lopez had 14 and 5 tonight, but he had a nice left handed hook shot taken away, as well as that beautiful right handed flying finish from the freewthrow line. Dude will be a good center next to Amare. Defensive of minded without being an offensive liability! That is 18 pts and 5 rebs in 17 mins. I know the points don't count, but they still go on the highlight tape!! What about the reverse layup???

Dragic is fast ass hell....Take it from me, I ran track and played football in college, plus I coach high school football Now. I know talent when i see it! Lopez will be waaaay better than Variejo.

[dantian]

Dragic has great court vision and uses his body and speed very well on both ends of the game. His shooting form is not the best, but better than LB's. He will definitely be able to develop the teardrop shot Parker masters. When driving, he reminds me of Ginobili who can change speed, step size, and jumping angles to gain advantage on defenders. His dribbling is a little too high and farther from body than optimal. Right now, he avoids turnover by reading defenders' reach and beat them to that. It's also no reason why he shouldn't be able to improve on this either. He will be better than Udrih in 2 years with 20 min a game playing time.

Lopez also needs experience. He indeed has a lot of good fundamental things going for him like block timing, PnR rotation, good speed. Should become a servicable big with time.

[SunsFever]

dragic will be better than beno udrih in a few years. lets not forget that udrih is playing for one of the worst teams in nba. im not saying right now.. but in few yrs.

now.. about dragic being a second rounder. have you all forgoten the sitation with his contract in euroleague??? and how exactly can you that if you draft a guy in second round he's never a starter???? finley anyone?.

It is a bit funny how you hype a player up after a few good (or bad) games. both guys are rookies that are just now getting the time to play. i think we can be encuraged with both of them progressing.

oh and another thing... i just cant see why robin can be as good as his brother?. they have the same genes for god sakes (or they dont if you're Intelligent Design kind of guy LOL ).

[tigerblood]

Like I said yesterday, if you can't see that Lopez has athleticism, then you can't see. Lopez had 14 and 5 tonight, but he had a nice left handed hook shot taken away, as well as that beautiful right handed flying finish from the freewthrow line. Dude will be a good center next to Amare. Defensive of minded without being an offensive liability! That is 18 pts and 5 rebs in 17 mins. I know the points don't count, but they still go on the highlight tape!! What about the reverse layup???

Dragic is fast ass hell....Take it from me, I ran track and played football in college, plus I coach high school football Now. I know talent when i see it! Lopez will be waaaay better than Variejo.

I was thinking last night that Lopez is looking more like the sidekick that Amare will need to protect the rim and get a lot of garbage buckets. I was relieved to see how much better he looks. After a rigorous summer I think he will come back stronger and ready to play.

[gumpspeed]

Like I said yesterday, if you can't see that Lopez has athleticism, then you can't see. Lopez had 14 and 5 tonight, but he had a nice left handed hook shot taken away, as well as that beautiful right handed flying finish from the freewthrow line. Dude will be a good center next to Amare. Defensive of minded without being an offensive liability! That is 18 pts and 5 rebs in 17 mins. I know the points don't count, but they still go on the highlight tape!! What about the reverse layup???

Dragic is fast ass hell....Take it from me, I ran track and played football in college, plus I coach high school football Now. I know talent when i see it! Lopez will be waaaay better than Variejo.

I was thinking last night that Lopez is looking more like the sidekick that Amare will need to protect the rim and get a lot of garbage buckets. I was relieved to see how much better he looks. After a rigorous summer I think he will come back stronger and ready to play.

I totally agree. You have to think that the guys will get better and better. How good can they get? I don't know, but I do know that they are and will continue to get better. I hope we draft, Clark, Aminu, James Johnson or Chase, bring back everyone next year and go for what we know. Let Shaq expire and sign A good role player. Gotta keep Amare though.