What is JaVale McGee's ceiling?

[Pollinator]

Just a follow-up to JaVale's invite to the USA minicap- obviously there are some guys that are feeling slighted that they didn't get invited, including Michael Beasley of the Heat- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel singles out McGee as someone who maybe didn't deserve the invite (you can get to the article through hoopshype.com).

So just a little something for Javale to put up in his locker as motivation...

[JonathanJoseph]

This is from John Schuhmann's
article at NBA.com that rates JaVale as just out of his 10 top players at the USA Basketball minicamp:

THE NEXT THREE (in alphabetical order):

O.J. Mayo, SG, Memphis
Showcase stats: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-16 fg, 3-10 3pt
Mayo wasn't afraid to shoot the ball all week, but other than a brief hot streak in the third quarter on Saturday, he didn't shoot particularly well. With Devin Harris out, he spent some time running the point, but had as many turnovers as assists. Despite all that, with his talent, he should still be considered for a roster spot somewhere down the line.

JaVale McGee, C, Washington
Showcase stats: 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 2-6 fg
Until Brook Lopez broke out on Saturday, McGee was the best center in camp. He has the potential to be Tyson Chandler with a decent jump shot. He blocked several shots in the three days and finished strong at the rim, but it came in flashes here or there. And he got pushed around a little by Oden and Lopez.

Greg Oden, C, Portland
Showcase stats: 7 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3-6 fg, 1-2 ft
Oden defended the rim and rebounded better than any other big, but he showed that he's still got a long way to go offensively (though he did hit a baseline jumper on Saturday). Obviously, by losing so much time due to injuries, he's a couple of steps behind. And the staff knows that, so they'll keep him in the program, even if he doesn't get serious consideration for a roster spot next summer.

I'm trying not to get too excited about that part in bold above but- damn... those are some good players that he was not only keeping up with, but possibly even surpassing, as raw has he still is.

All the kid needs is patience and good health- in fact I hope that they try and build his bulk very gradually, I really wouldn't want to see him get the same kind of foot injuries that happened to Kwame, Yao Ming, and others. I can't prove it, but them trying to bulk up quickly had to have contributed to the stress fractures they ended up with.

If he wants to pat himself on the back, put his feet up, and take a little vacation off in cyberspace somewhere, I'm all for it. 82 games is a long season, and we're gonna need him to stay healthy.

No kidding. This is really impressive.

[Dat2U]

WOW DAT

I said before the draft he IMO was the biggest bust. So to me, yes, he's the worst pick in the draft...

Well maybe tied with Jason Thompson at #12.

I love you man, but after this and the whole Kwame thing, i think you need to stay away from evaluating the big men

Come on. McGee was getting graded on the Kwame curve. Any talented but underproducing big was getting bashed by me.

Seriously though, McGee's numbers from a low level D1 conference were underwhelming. And as discussed, his defensive shortcomings were as bad as advertised. But since early last season, I've done a 180 on him and become one of his most staunchest supporters. I think to me the biggest surprise has been his demeanor and his high activity level on the court. He didn't get high marks in college for that.

But it goes to show you, it's damn near impossible to play nerf GM sitting in front of the computer. Watching a guy on TV or on youtube in totally different from seeing the guy play in person and seeing how the interact with teammates and coaches. I got a totally different appreciation for James Harden that way and now have done a 180 on my evaluation of him too.

I feel far more confident about evaluating a player after seeing them in person. Nothing beats it. Guys like CCJ, Sev, Ruz, Doc and a few others may do okay behind their computers but imagine how good they would be if they were actually paid to travel and scout these players on an up close and personal basis. That's one reason I'm so hard on GM's and scouts. Alot of us can do a better job scouting from our bed with the laptop in our laps and these guys are full-time professionals and still get wrong most of the time.

[WizarDynasty]

yeah getting graded on a kwame curve should boost anyone's value. I hate the fact that Blatche's vertical is similiar to Kfb. I still think it all comes down to how well low McGee can drop his center of gravity to maintain leverage in the post and if Blatche can improve his vertical by about 6 inches.

[dandridge 10]

I'm real high on McGee as well. The sky is certainly the limit for him. However, there is one thing about his demeanor that does cause me some concern. He kind of acts and talks like he already has it figured out. That might be a good thing because confidence is always a great quality to have. However, it could also be negative if the kid is reluctant to listen to those that are trying to make him better. If he is willing to listen and do what others are telling him to do to be an elite player (hit the weight room, develop low post moves, etc.), then I think McGee will be a potential all-star. If not, we could be disappointed in yet another player not developing to their potential.

[TheKingOfVa360]

I'm real high on McGee as well. The sky is certainly the limit for him. However, there is one thing about his demeanor that does cause me some concern. He kind of acts and talks like he already has it figured out. That might be a good thing because confidence is always a great quality to have. However, it could also be negative if the kid is reluctant to listen to those that are trying to make him better. If he is willing to listen and do what others are telling him to do to be an elite player (hit the weight room, develop low post moves, etc.), then I think McGee will be a potential all-star. If not, we could be disappointed in yet another player not developing to their potential.

I agree, McGee has future all-star written all over him. But he has to bulk up, develop some go to moves, and learn defensive fundamentals. With Haywood healthy and Oberto on the team, McGee now has two vets to learn the tricks of the trade from. I would love if we can bring a retired big on the coaching staff to work with McGee and Blatche. Like how Kareem worked with Bynum and Ewing worked with Dwight Howard.

McGee has pure athleticism rarely found in a 7 footer. He plays with a beastly aggression and is very confident on the court. After this season I can see us letting Haywood walk and McGee sliding into the starting role if he keeps developing.

[closg00]

J- Mac didn't make this list of promising Big-men
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/1008 ... ty-big-men

[JWizmentality]

J- Mac didn't make this list of promising Big-men
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/1008 ... ty-big-men

Darko and Curry are on the list. There's all you need to know.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

It's a good read IMO, cloq00.

I can't argue that Javale's ahead of any of the guys on that list, but I'd say he's right there not far behind the two guys with his age/experience. Brook Lopez and Greg Oden.

This portion of Rosen's article is really thought provoking when I think about Javale:

Why, then, is there such a shortage of prime-time bigs these days?

Because many young big men watch endless highlights of NBA action and busy themselves playing basketball video games. Plus, they're primarily interested in fancy handling, dunking, shooting 3-pointers and blocking shots.

This limited vision of what bigs can and should do is reinforced when they see 7-footers like Andrea Bargnani and Dirk Nowitzki play like small forwards.

Besides, most fledgling centers don't want to bang around in the paint or learn the footwork specific to effective low-post play. Practice, after all, is boring,

Most importantly, there's a dearth of talented big-men coaches at the high school, AAU and college levels.

I guess Rosen considers bigs only achieve greatness if they're bangers who are well versed on the low blocks. He wants his bigs close to the hoop, apparently. He seems to not want a big that can handle the ball. Personally, I love the way Dirk plays. He gets the most out his ability, IMO. I think Avery Johnson made him less of a weapon the season he discouraged Dirk from shooting threes. Recently, Dirk is a better low post scorer, however (so, credit Avery, too).

I think Javale has similar handles to Dirk's and he's built like Dirk in the upper body. I've got no problem with McGee at PF next to Haywood if his face up game, handles, and recognition come up to par for a PF. Javale's simply more skilled than the average seven footer. I said before and will repeat that I regard Javale as a taller Larry Nance. I could easily see Javale scoring on dunks in transition and on beating his man off the dribble. McGee seems to have good hands and a scorers mentality. Why not (also) groom Javale to be a scorer who is also a great shot blocker at PF?

As far as coaching for him goes, others have said it and I'll second that Kareem would be a good tutor for Javale as a C.

Rosen's point about greatness coming from dominating inside is valid. I would like to see Javale have a coach do the same things for him that others have done for Bynum, Gasol, and Nowitzki provided they don't box him in offensively to simply being a banger,which I don't think he is.

[ZonkertheBrainless]

Larry Nance, yeah! That is an excellent comparison.

[yungal07]

Nick and Javale at Drew:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4k-6V-kG2E&feature=fvsr

[TheSecretWeapon]

I was impressed by the robust defense in that clip.

[yungal07]

I was impressed by the robust defense in that clip.

Hater....