Jan Vesely Part II: He a Bust

[Knighthonor]

Its Year THREE!!! Time for the turn around!!!!

Anybody believe Jan is about to pull a turn around like Wall did in his third season, after seeing what he was doing in the summer league?

[dangermouse]

If he manages to get good at just one basketball skill this year ill be happy.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Its Year THREE!!! Time for the turn around!!!!

Anybody believe Jan is about to pull a turn around like Wall did in his third season, after seeing what he was doing in the summer league?

I do.

The Wizards need to shift their paradigm and allow Jan to play some SF. His Dirk shot looks like money to me. Vesely is an opportunistic, hustle player but he lacks strength and at times, confidence. Praise and giving him some freedom to be a unique kind of player will get the best out of him. He was a SF in Europe and he can play token minutes at SF. Mainly, allow him to use some perimeter skills and don't leap on his first air ball. Vesely can create matchup problems and become a high post C, because he's already a good passer and a willing rebounder.

I think Vesely very well could do a John Wall this season and become a serviceably decent player. He won't be a superstar but Vesely is capable of a 20 point outburst with two or three made threes. He's worked on his shooting and he's got height with speed that are rare. Let the Euro guy play a Euro game. Forget the past. Vesely can do like Wall did and up his game.

[Dat2U]

Its Year THREE!!! Time for the turn around!!!!

Anybody believe Jan is about to pull a turn around like Wall did in his third season, after seeing what he was doing in the summer league?

I do.

The Wizards need to shift their paradigm and allow Jan to play some SF. His Dirk shot looks like money to me. Vesely is an opportunistic, hustle player but he lacks strength and at times, confidence. Praise and giving him some freedom to be a unique kind of player will get the best out of him. He was a SF in Europe and he can play token minutes at SF. Mainly, allow him to use some perimeter skills and don't leap on his first air ball. Vesely can create matchup problems and become a high post C, because he's already a good passer and a willing rebounder.

I think Vesely very well could do a John Wall this season and become a serviceably decent player. He won't be a superstar but Vesely is capable of a 20 point outburst with two or three made threes. He's worked on his shooting and he's got height with speed that are rare. Let the Euro guy play a Euro game. Forget the past. Vesely can do like Wall did and up his game.

I still think your living in a fantasy world on this. Vesely would have trouble scoring 20 points in a scrimmage against Antawn Jamison. And how much did he really work on his shooting if his form was still wildly inconsistent during summer league?

[Ruzious]

"His Dirk shot looks like money" is a great line, CCJ - even if he still can't shoot.

[dobrojim]

I'm only optimistic in the sense that given that EG's kids were all (3, JV, CS and KS) woefully
bad players this past season, there is a lot of potential for improvement and little chance
they can be worse. Now if that's not damning with faint praise, I don't know what is.

Maybe 1-2 of them can improve so that they're not in the bottom 10 worst players
in the league. In my wildest fantasy, 2 of them become merely mediocre as opposed
to downright awful. I was hopeful at one time Singleton would be a decent player.
Now I can't decide whether he or Jan has the least chance to become serviceable.

[Ruzious]

I'm only optimistic in the sense that given that EG's kids were all (3, JV, CS and KS) woefully
bad players this past season, there is a lot of potential for improvement and little chance
they can be worse. Now if that's not damning with faint praise, I don't know what is.

Maybe 1-2 of them can improve so that they're not in the bottom 10 worst players
in the league. In my wildest fantasy, 2 of them become merely mediocre as opposed
to downright awful. I was hopeful at one time Singleton would be a decent player.
Now I can't decide whether he or Jan has the least chance to become serviceable.

Jan had the distinction of being the very worst of EG's kids. To do that, you have to score fewer points than get combined fouls and turnovers - and not many players can do that over an extended period.

All of them have the physical ability to contribute if they'd just work much harder and much smarter than they have. Ultimately, it's on them.

[payitforward]

You guys are really mean. It's just not nice the way you talk about Jan.

This is going to be Jan's year. I mean it; it won't belong to another guy it'll be his. Or else next year.

First thing he's going to do, he's going to up his free throw percentage. You watch; he'll go 1-2 his first time at the line. From there it's all gravy.

[Ruzious]

Last season, Jan was the only player - on ANY level - who would've rather be called for a foul than the other way around - just so he could avoid going to the foul line.

No ref, he didn't touch me. If anything, you should call a foul on me! You will? Thank you ref!

[closg00]

Where is that quote about Jan being the future "heart of the franchise" when u need it?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Its Year THREE!!! Time for the turn around!!!!

Anybody believe Jan is about to pull a turn around like Wall did in his third season, after seeing what he was doing in the summer league?

I do.

The Wizards need to shift their paradigm and allow Jan to play some SF. His Dirk shot looks like money to me. Vesely is an opportunistic, hustle player but he lacks strength and at times, confidence. Praise and giving him some freedom to be a unique kind of player will get the best out of him. He was a SF in Europe and he can play token minutes at SF. Mainly, allow him to use some perimeter skills and don't leap on his first air ball. Vesely can create matchup problems and become a high post C, because he's already a good passer and a willing rebounder.

I think Vesely very well could do a John Wall this season and become a serviceably decent player. He won't be a superstar but Vesely is capable of a 20 point outburst with two or three made threes. He's worked on his shooting and he's got height with speed that are rare. Let the Euro guy play a Euro game. Forget the past. Vesely can do like Wall did and up his game.

I still think your living in a fantasy world on this. Vesely would have trouble scoring 20 points in a scrimmage against Antawn Jamison. And how much did he really work on his shooting if his form was still wildly inconsistent during summer league?

I am living a dream today, Dat. I am at the beach looking at Diamond Head. Worked out earlier and cooled down in the ocean. The water is perfect. The sun feels great. That's not to say I don't trip out on some ideas, but this is like a fantasy come true.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... elog/2012/

Vesely had an 8-8, 16-point game vs Miami as a rookie.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... elog/2012/

Ten times he scored double figures before the Okariza deal that set him and Seraphin back on the minutes depth chart.

Dat, other guys are going to kill it for Washington. I can easily see Vesely bust out a good game. The Dirk shot looks good to me. He's a garbage basket guy with athleticism. He's not Dirk but he can be Pecherov a time or two IMHO..

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

EG traded and changed the roles of his kids right after they won six straight. It helped Wall and the team overall IMO, but Jan took a huge step back.

Missing a FT made already sparse minutes becoming DNP-CD.

Confidence is something Vesely is short on but IMO he had a right to feel kicked to the curb by EG and Wittman. Vesely never got in a comfort zone. He was in a groove before the deal.

Seraphin was a turrrible player, too, last season--post Okariza.

Imagine being a kid and having older kids with better grades or looks move in your house. Your dad likes their jokes and has little patience with you. Vesely suffered that kind of thing in year two.

[hands11]

"His Dirk shot looks like money" is a great line, CCJ - even if he still can't shoot.

Wiz sign Dirk

Ves get mentored

Ves become Dirk

We are set.

Then KD comes to the team.

I get a feeling Ves is healing from his mental breakdown last year. I think he is going to look better and Randy will give him an opportunity to show it. I don't mind what Randy did. All three of those young players needed a wake up call. Ves was known for being a little slack in the off season. Time to grow up. The team has goals. The NBA regular season isn't a practice session. Other teams are hunger. You have to be more hungry.

Glad he stuck around for summer ball. That was in question at one point. Now he is about to play overseas. Then he will return for more training in DC. I think that was a good summer programs for him. Hopefully he does well in his international play and gets some swag going.

[hands11]

Its really going to suck if we look back after a season or two and Zeller and Wolter are balln

Going to be a fun year. Can't wait to see VO, CJM, and Pierre Jackson

Looking forward to seeing Burke as well. Might takes him a 1/2 year to adjust though.

[payitforward]

I get a feeling Ves is healing from his mental breakdown last year.

The best guide to how a player is likely to play in the future is how he's played in the past. You do understand that, right?

"I get a feeling" that what happens with most players will happen with Jan Vesely. He'll show up this season and be... Jan Vesely. When he plays, he'll play like Jan Vesely.

[jangles86]

If Vesely can manage to pull minutes away from Nene and average above 6 rebounds and 7 points I'd say he would've become a pretty important player for us. We would also hav to be above .500 for that aswell.

[hands11]

I get a feeling Ves is healing from his mental breakdown last year.

The best guide to how a player is likely to play in the future is how he's played in the past. You do understand that, right?

"I get a feeling" that what happens with most players will happen with Jan Vesely. He'll show up this season and be... Jan Vesely. When he plays, he'll play like Jan Vesely.

Is that always true ?

[payitforward]

I get a feeling Ves is healing from his mental breakdown last year.

The best guide to how a player is likely to play in the future is how he's played in the past. You do understand that, right?

"I get a feeling" that what happens with most players will happen with Jan Vesely. He'll show up this season and be... Jan Vesely. When he plays, he'll play like Jan Vesely.

Is that always true ?

I suppose nothing is *always* true, hands -- but it's certainly what usually happens. As in almost always.

[doclinkin]

I get a feeling Ves is healing from his mental breakdown last year.

The best guide to how a player is likely to play in the future is how he's played in the past. You do understand that, right?

"I get a feeling" that what happens with most players will happen with Jan Vesely. He'll show up this season and be... Jan Vesely. When he plays, he'll play like Jan Vesely.

So that means he'll shoot 40% from three and 65% from the FT line as he did in the Euroleague in his 3rd year as a pro? This following a year when he shot under 6% in 3FG.

Over his career what Jan is is inconsistent. He has shown improvement and backsliding alike in his past history, struggling then taking significant steps forward. Confidence is key for any player but some players are more affected than others. Change happens, some players are more well-developed coming into the league, most improve little but some do. (Consider Andray Blatche's improvement last year, jumping from a FG% of 38% to 52% after a change of attitude and venue). But if his trends are to be the model, by his past history Jan makes an uptick and adjustment after struggling with improved competition, once the bar of expectations has been lowered by his own poor play.

Jan's FT%'s illustrate this more clearly than most, since the mental aspect is magnified here. In his past he's certainly shot better than last year's 30% from the line, above 60% some years. What's the difference? Low pressure? Increased PT? More success in other parts of his game seems to have a carry over effect on his FT shooting. His role on the team was limited but he has success within that role as a defender and crash forward, swooping in from the wings on backdoor cuts when left unguarded. He's played well in the minor stretches when he shared the court with John for any real time. We know he CAN play better since he has. The mental aspect is clearly a stumbling block for him. His teammates attest to that.

Evidence suggests support for hands' position that he will likely prove better than he showed last year, considering that was the worst he ever played. One thing can be said, from where he is now ain't nowhere to go but up. Or gone.

I suspect he will improve, whether or not he proves a useful player. I also have an inkling that he'll take significant steps forward simply by playing with a pass-first back-up guard (Maynor) even in scrub minutes -- thus earning confidence that may carry over to better all around play. A heads-up PG will see that he has a few tools he can use that will make them both look good once they get to know each others game. Shoot if I can see it, then any decent PG will see the seams and holes to lead him to the basket for an easy alley oop.

[nate33]

From Vesely's twitter account:

Jan Vesely ‏@JanVesely24 1 Aug
2 month, 6 days a week, 1,000 shoots a day, weight training, running, conditioning, ball handling, etc. http://youtu.be/2V6_4GxKZXg

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V6_4GxKZXg&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

Man, he sure looks good in practice. He's so incredibly long and he can leap with such ease. Too bad he's fools gold though. His athletic gifts just don't translate into an NBA game.

I refuse to get my hopes up. I'm just going to assume he'll suck again to insulate myself from disappointment. If he proves me wrong, I'll be pleasantly surprised.