Brandan Wright Progression Thread

[deepblueday]

In very limited minutes tonight, Brandan showed quite a bit.

1) He's an athletic freak in pretty much every sense. Unbelievably long, jumps out of the building, fast up and down the court, and extremely quick and fluid with all his movements.

2) He seemed very aware and comfortable both offensively and defensively. He looked like a smart player out there... making switches, cutting and moving to open spots, setting screens, dribble hand offs, tapping boards to teammates, etc. Much further along than Favors in this sense. He consistently put himself in positions to catch the ball and score. He was stripped a couple times, and a few other times his teammates didn't find him (nice lob, Sunny), but I'm confident the scoring will come. I was impressed by his physicality on defense as well. Despite being very thin and slight, Wright doesn't appear afraid to mix it up. He fought hard to deny his man position tonight.

Avery needs to get over himself and start playing Brandan at least 10-12 minutes a night. Gadzuric should not play at all. He will not be on this roster next season. Wright should cut into both Travis and Johan's time at the 4 and 5.

[Rockice_8]

Couldn't agree more Gadz looked terrible out there and Petro is what he is. I would really like to see this kid play. He played only six min but you could see his impact out there challenging shots tough cover for opposing PF's with his quick first step.

His length was noticeable out there tonight and it's something we could use. If he doesn't get more PT after this it would be a disgrace and a flat out slap in the face to the fans who pay money to watch these games. This kid has some serious potential if he can stay healthy.

PLAY THIS KID AVERY!!! WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?

[deepblueday]

[624]

This thread should be closed.....young players cannot progress when Avery Johnson is your head coach.

[SteveNets15]

Give the kid a chance Avery wtf Lets see what he can do.

[Netaman]

You guys are going overboard with the Avery knocking.

Avery started Damion James as a rookie over the 7 MM dollar man after not playing for what? 2 months?

Gaines was here for 5 seconds and he was getting minutes over Farmar in the 4th quarter in London.

Troy Murphy had been a starter for what 5+ years and he got how many starts over Hump (and his 8 career starts) once he was healthy?

Everyone bitched about Favors not getting minutes here and guess what? He's getting 2 less mpg in Utah. And that's with Millsap and AK 47 hurt.

Make no mistake about it, I'd love to see Wright get some time. The fact of the matter is right now Hump is getting the bulk of the PF minutes and Outlaw is playing his best ball of the season getting the remaining backup PF minutes. Hard to envision Wright playing SF or C. It's a waiting game for him unless he can show something in practice - if Gaines did it why can't he?

[deepblueday]

James being gifted a position in the starting lineup seems to me an example of how arbitrary Avery's decisionmaking actually is. What could this kid have possibly shown in practice? And has he been anything other than a net negative when he's played? Say what you will about his hustle, skill-wise he looks like D-league player. But Avery forces him out there because he's young and brings energy... give Brandan that same chance.

No doubt Hump deserves starter's minutes. Wright's not taking any time away from him. But Outlaw at the 4? Yes, I would like to see Wright take some of that time. Outlaw's proven that he is hopeless at defending bigs... see the last two games. I agree Travis has been playing well offensively, but we're not talking about a huge amount of minutes here. And I do believe Wright could be on the floor at the same time as Hump, teams play similar or even smaller lineups all the time. Petro and Gadzuric are terrible, they are utter nothingness out there. They bring no energy, no skill, no defensive ability. Why not just try Wright, see what he can do? If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, no big deal. But to let a young talent in the final year of his contract just sit on the bench is an utter waste.

I think that's the most frustrating aspect for me. In order to make a decision on Wright, he needs to be thrown out there, even if Gadzuric is somehow showing more in practice (which is frankly unbelievable to me, based on those 6 minutes Wright played versus the horribleness that is every second Gadzuric is on the court). He has potential value to this organization that Petro and Gadzuric do not. If we play him and he sucks, he's too thin to guard bigs, gets pushed around a lot, whatever, at least we know and we can make an informed decision on him.

[Netaman]

James being gifted a position in the starting lineup seems to me an example of how arbitrary Avery's decisionmaking actually is. What could this kid have possibly shown in practice? And has he been anything other than a net negative when he's played? Say what you will about his hustle, skill-wise he looks like D-league player. But Avery forces him out there because he's young and brings energy... give Brandan that same chance.

He could have competed and showed more then just energy, the effort to play solid defense. Which is something he has shown since the summer league and has been a knock on Brandan Wright his entire career.

Shockingly that's also something Sundiata Gaines has showed. A guy who is younger then Wright and been here even less time then Wright yet somehow is getting minutes.

Interesting...see a trend here?

No doubt Hump deserves starter's minutes. Wright's not taking any time away from him. But Outlaw at the 4? Yes, I would like to see Wright take some of that time. Outlaw's proven that he is hopeless at defending bigs... see the last two games. I agree Travis has been playing well offensively, but we're not talking about a huge amount of minutes here. And I do believe Wright could be on the floor at the same time as Hump, teams play similar or even smaller lineups all the time. Petro and Gadzuric are terrible, they are utter nothingness out there. They bring no energy, no skill, no defensive ability. Why not just try Wright, see what he can do? If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, no big deal. But to let a young talent in the final year of his contract just sit on the bench is an utter waste.

Outlaw came through huge in London and sparked a win last night. Now is not the time to argue against his minutes. If he didn't come through in those 2 situations we likely wouldn't even be thinking playoffs and I'm sure those minutes would go to the slightly younger player. But he came through and now we're closing in on a playoff race.

We really arguing over our strategy after winning 4 straight games, including 3 that were decided in the last minute of the game?

I think that's the most frustrating aspect for me. In order to make a decision on Wright, he needs to be thrown out there, even if Gadzuric is somehow showing more in practice (which is frankly unbelievable to me, based on those 6 minutes Wright played versus the horribleness that is every second Gadzuric is on the court). He has potential value to this organization that Petro and Gadzuric do not. If we play him and he sucks, he's too thin to guard bigs, gets pushed around a lot, whatever, at least we know and we can make an informed decision on him.

That's BS. The decision on Wright is going to come down to $ in the offseason. His value isn't going to change tremendously based on 1 month. See Terrence "Mr. April" Williams. If we have someone better to sign or trade for we will renounce his rights. If not, he'll come back on a 1 year deal. That's basically it. If Hump hasn't won a starting spot based on a full season of double doubles how would Wright earn anything significant in a month?

[deepblueday]

He could have competed and showed more then just energy, the effort to play solid defense. Which is something he has shown since the summer league and has been a knock on Brandan Wright his entire career.

Effort on defense? Wasn't a knock on him in college, and he's always been known as a great shotblocker. I'd have to see more to know if that criticism has any validity.

Shockingly that's also something Sundiata Gaines has showed. A guy who is younger then Wright and been here even less time then Wright yet somehow is getting minutes.

Dude, the only reason Sundiata even got in the game (or on the roster for that matter) was injuries. He showed something and now it's going to be difficult to take him out of the rotation once Deron returns. Wright looked very good out there in his very limited oppurtunity as well, but the Nets just aren't as thin at the 4 as they are at the 1 right now

Interesting...see a trend here?

Sure. Players like James, Graham, Ross, Gadzuric, all underskilled effort guys, get chance after chance because they're practice players. They look really good until they actually have to play in games.

Outlaw came through huge in London and sparked a win last night. Now is not the time to argue against his minutes. If he didn't come through in those 2 situations we likely wouldn't even be thinking playoffs and I'm sure those minutes would go to the slightly younger player. But he came through and now we're closing in on a playoff race.

We really arguing over our strategy after winning 4 straight games, including 3 that were decided in the last minute of the game?

Travis Outlaw sucks, let's try not to forget that very basic, fundamental point. He jacked up several early, ill-advised Js last night, they just happened to go in. Props for that, he helped get us back into the game, but two or three solid games doesn't convince me that his minutes should be protected at all costs.

That's BS. The decision on Wright is going to come down to $ in the offseason. His value isn't going to change tremendously based on 1 month. See Terrence "Mr. April" Williams. If we have someone better to sign or trade for we will renounce his rights. If not, he'll come back on a 1 year deal. That's basically it. If Hump hasn't won a starting spot based on a full season of double doubles how would Wright earn anything significant in a month?

What? It's a question of committing a roster space to him, clearly he's not gonna command much money whether he gets time right now or not. I mean, the truth is, if he can't break into our big rotation right now, Avery probably doesn't think he's worth keeping around.

[Netaman]

PLAYER EVALUATIONS BY CHAD FORD
ProfileAnalysisConversation
PLAYER EVALUATION
Projection Top 10

Positives
Wright is a super long, athletic big man who spends most of his time around the basket. Runs the floor very well and knows how to get to the rim. Very quick and explosive. Can be a smothering defender.

Negatives
Strength is a major issue. He needs at least 20 pounds or more to play his position in the pros. Lacks great perimeter skills at the moment. At times he plays with a lack intensity. Will float at times. His rebounding and shot-blocking numbers are a little disappointing considering what he's capable of.

See the bolded part where his intensity and effort were questioned prior to the draft.

Yes, I see where in the same scouting report he is also considered a smothering defender. Obviously that hasn't materialized yet in the pros, if it did he wouldn't have been traded, so let's skip that argument. I'd think it would be hard to not be considered a smothering defender in college when your arms are about 6 inches longer then anyone you're guarding.

Until otherwise proven, Brandan Wright is Anthony Randolph. An unknown with a great deal of upside.

I want to see him get minutes. I want to see what he can do. He has tremendous potential. BUT right now in the midst of a 4 game winning streak, with Outlaw finally showing signs of life, it's not the time to empty the bench. If you're not playing Outlaw when he is playing well then we will never be able to get rid of him.

If you think Avery is so blinded he won't even give the guy a roster spot next year then you're just arguing for the sake of arguing. If he's showing the effort in practice and then shows that he's a hard worker over the summer, he will get opportunities to show what he can do.

And your comparisons as far as who's getting minutes over him are just poor. Quinton Ross hasn't played in more then 2 weeks. Gadzuric played limited minutes in 3 games and Petro was injured in 2 of them. Graham hasn't gotten more then 10 min in a game since January and half of the games he hasn't appeared in. Avery isn't actively giving any of those players consistent minutes over Wright. If Wright wants consistent minutes, he has to earn them, the same way Gaines did. He played 7 great minutes in the first game in London and what did that get him? 23 minutes in the next the 2nd game in London - a game Jordan Farmar was healthy for and played 23 minutes in. You can bet his defense and effort will keep him in the rotation even with DWill back.

[deepblueday]

See the bolded part where his intensity and effort were questioned prior to the draft.

Yes, I see where in the same scouting report he is also considered a smothering defender. Obviously that hasn't materialized yet in the pros, if it did he wouldn't have been traded, so let's skip that argument. I'd think it would be hard to not be considered a smothering defender in college when your arms are about 6 inches longer then anyone you're guarding.

This speculation is pointless. The reality is, he's played very little in the NBA and of all that time I've seen him play a grand total of 6 minutes. Certainly not enough where I would ever claim that he's a smothering defender. That said, although there are several reasons he couldn't find any time on GS, I don't see any evidence that lack of effort on defense was one of them. Part of it was injuries, part of it was that Don Nelson didn't want him to begin with. Here's an excellent article on Wright, the circumstances surrounding his selection, and why he struggled to carve out a role:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2 ... rs-career/

After the trade occurred, a few GS fans came over and seemed to have positive things to say about Wright whenever he was able to get on the court.

Until otherwise proven, Brandan Wright is Anthony Randolph. An unknown with a great deal of upside.

Of course, but why not play him? I'd understand where you're coming from if the Nets had a log jam of talented big men, all deserving of minutes.... But we're playing Johan Petro, Dan Gadzuric, and Travis Outlaw.

I want to see him get minutes. I want to see what he can do. He has tremendous potential. BUT right now in the midst of a 4 game winning streak, with Outlaw finally showing signs of life, it's not the time to empty the bench. If you're not playing Outlaw when he is playing well then we will never be able to get rid of him.

If you think Avery is so blinded he won't even give the guy a roster spot next year then you're just arguing for the sake of arguing. If he's showing the effort in practice and then shows that he's a hard worker over the summer, he will get opportunities to show what he can do.

You've convinced yourself based on little to no evidence that Wright is not a better option than Petro, Gadzruic, Outlaw right now. You do realize Outlaw has been a complete sieve on defense ever single time he's stepped onto the floor as a 4? Are you really arguing this vehemently for him? The guy shoots 38% from the **** field.

Furthermore, Outlaw is garbage. Because he's garbage, he isn't going to redeem himself in the eyes of the NBA. See that's the problem, the more Outlaw plays, the more opportunities there are for him to show much he sucks. We're stuck with his contract unless we can pair some kind of significant value with it.

And your comparisons as far as who's getting minutes over him are just poor. Quinton Ross hasn't played in more then 2 weeks. Gadzuric played limited minutes in 3 games and Petro was injured in 2 of them. Graham hasn't gotten more then 10 min in a game since January and half of the games he hasn't appeared in. Avery isn't actively giving any of those players consistent minutes over Wright. If Wright wants consistent minutes, he has to earn them, the same way Gaines did. He played 7 great minutes in the first game in London and what did that get him? 23 minutes in the next the 2nd game in London - a game Jordan Farmar was healthy for and played 23 minutes in. You can bet his defense and effort will keep him in the rotation even with DWill back.

I said those guys keep getting chances, not that they're getting minutes over Wright. Seems like Avery takes a month to convince himself that Ross and Graham deserve to play, puts them in the game, comes to obvious realization that they suck, and then starts the process all over again.

[Netaman]

You seem to be forgetting that Wright has been here for a total of 8 or 9 games. It's not like Avery stashed him over Graham and Ross the entire year. Had he been here from the beginning there's no doubt he would have gotten more minutes then Graham or Ross (who hasn't played in 2 weeks) and he probably would have gotten a few starts AND he definitely would have been given every opportunity to get into the regular rotation.

I'll say it again - we're on a 4 game winning streak where Outlaw has played his best ball as a backup PF. That is where Wright's minutes are going. Outlaw is shooting 50% over the past 5 games. Did you like winning in London when Outlaw scored our last 6(?) points in overtime and got a huge block? Did you like the comeback against LAC? If he reverts back and his shooting % drops again I'll be right there next you, but right now he is getting the job done.

Either way I have a feeling Wright is going to start getting more minutes, regardless of what Outlaw does the rest of the year. As with pretty much everyone on the bench a lot of the minutes will depend on match-ups.

[ecuhus1981]

Avery has a say in every transaction we make, and a plan for every player we acquire. I want to see Brandan play, as well as raise his trade stock, as much as the next Nets fan. But our coach isn't going to throw a raw player who doesn't know our system out onto the floor, no matter how tempting or how much potential the player has. If he won't forcefeed Favors minutes, then you KNOW we are going ot have to be patient with Wright. Rest assured, our FO will see enough of him by the end of the season to make an informed decision about his QO.

[Rockice_8]

I just don't understand how 10-14 min a night is going hurt us that bad. Dan Gaduzric shouldn't ever step foot on the floor again. If we need 5-6 min here or there to rest Hump then give it to Wright not Gadz or Outlaw.

Outlaw is only needed at the 4 when teams a going small not while guys like Kaman and Griffin are on the floor, which killed us for those couple of minutes.

NO MORE DAN GADZURIC!! He makes me have to turn the channel.

[deepblueday]

Small, non playoff team tonight, second night of a back to back... Seems like a good game for Brandan to get another look.

[jeff1624]

This thread has more post than total minutes Brendan Wright has pklayed for the Nets.