Rui Hachimura

[deneem4]

He would’ve been better out of college but if brooks allow him to learn he should grow into his potential

[payitforward]

...Is Clarke's lack of bulk going to allow him to rebound as well in the NBA? He's certainly not going to block NBA bigs out on a regulr basis. Tyrus Thomas was a monster rebounder at LSU playing next to Big Baby - getting 14 rebounds per 36 minutes. In the NBA, he averaged 8.8 rebounds per 36. Why is that going to be different for Clarke? And Thomas was actually a little bigger than Clarke.

What makes Tyrus Thomas, good or bad, any kind of model for Brandon Clarke, I wonder?

How big was Dennis Rodman? Why is Steph such an outstanding rebounding guard? Size?

The biggest differences between Brandon Clarke & a whole bunch of other guys are a) his incredible athleticism -- not just jumping but jumping twice, jumping to the right place... I mean... you've watched him, right? And b) his extremely high BBIQ.

He is going to be an exceptional player in the NBA. The evidence for that is in how exceptional he has been so far.

Meh, I think you know by now that I've watched more of Clarke than you have. The better question is Did you watch Tyrus Thomsas when he was at LSU? He was every bit the athlete Clarke is.

You & I could take either of those guys....

[payitforward]

Meh, I think you know by now that I've watched more of Clarke than you have. The better question is Did you watch Tyrus Thomsas when he was at LSU? He was every bit the athlete Clarke is.

Thomas was honestly a better athlete than Clarke. Still, Thomas wasn't undone because of his athleticism. He was undone mainly by injuries and by not being a particularly adaptable player. I don't think Clarke is quite at Thomas' level for athleticism but I'm also not sure he's going to prove to be quite as inadaptable and if he can stay healthy, he's likely going to be quite good.

I really don't get why it isn't possible to like both guys, though, or why one guy can't be praised without directly or indirectly tearing down the other guy. They're very different players but both also very good.

Maybe they'll both suck! Point is one doesn't have to suck for the other to be good.

Yes, I watched Tyrus Thomas, & yes he was a tremendous athlete. Was he a better athlete than Clarke? I have no idea -- it was a long time ago, & I don't have the ability to compare them meaningfully.

But acting as if how he turned out impacts how Clarke will turn out is not much different from yoking Clarke & Rui together. There's no actual information in it.

Above all, to H#ll with it! Lets see what we got with Rui & Admiral -- & lets hire a GM.

[80sballboy]

Let's project his early SL production and the reactions from the board:
Game 1: 11 points, 4-11 FG, 0-2 3pt, 3-4 FT, 1 block, 4 rebs, 3 TOs, 1 assist in 25 minutes. "Bust" "Told you so" "Zion went around him like he was standing still" "Needs work"
Game 2: 6 points, 2-9 FG, 1-3 3pt, 1-2 FT, 2 blocks, 3 rebs, 3 TOs in 24 minutes. "At least he hit a three", "Can't blame it on Ernie" "Robert Pack sucks as a coach", "Too slow", "Borderline NBA player", "Too early to tell"
Game 3: 22 points, 8-15 FG, 2-4 3pt, 4-5 FT, 2 blocks, 6 rebs, 4 TOs in 25 minutes. "Too many turnovers" "Finally he has arrived", "Yeah, but he played the Clippers", "Shot is too low", "Next Pervis Ellison?", "All-Star!", "I want to buy his jersey".
Game 4: 17 points, 7-20 FG, 1-3 3pt, 2-2 FT, 0 blocks, 5 rebs, 3 TOs in 20 minutes. "Damn that's a lot of shots", "Needs work on ballhandling", "Still lacks a feel on both ends", "At least he finished strong", "Best draft pick since Otto", "Still learning language", "Not used to Vegas heat," "Needs to work on his left hand (me)", "Better shooter than I thought", "Can't guard a washing machine".

[Ruzious]

Meh, I think you know by now that I've watched more of Clarke than you have. The better question is Did you watch Tyrus Thomsas when he was at LSU? He was every bit the athlete Clarke is.

Thomas was honestly a better athlete than Clarke. Still, Thomas wasn't undone because of his athleticism. He was undone mainly by injuries and by not being a particularly adaptable player. I don't think Clarke is quite at Thomas' level for athleticism but I'm also not sure he's going to prove to be quite as inadaptable and if he can stay healthy, he's likely going to be quite good.

I really don't get why it isn't possible to like both guys, though, or why one guy can't be praised without directly or indirectly tearing down the other guy. They're very different players but both also very good.

Maybe they'll both suck! Point is one doesn't have to suck for the other to be good.

Yes, I watched Tyrus Thomas, & yes he was a tremendous athlete. Was he a better athlete than Clarke? I have no idea -- it was a long time ago, & I don't have the ability to compare them meaningfully.

But acting as if how he turned out impacts how Clarke will turn out is not much different from yoking Clarke & Rui together. There's no actual information in it.

Above all, to H#ll with it! Lets see what we got with Rui & Admiral -- & lets hire a GM.

Fair enough - it would be almost as bad as someone saying that Rodman's success would be an indicator that Clarke will succeed. Again, I think Clarke will be good - just not great like he was as a 22 year old in college.

[Jstock12]

Read on Twitter

The guy has a point. Those FIBA highlights are pretty remarkable. I especially like the pass he makes at 1:32.

It's possible that Hachimura is a much better and more aware team player when he is in an environment where the language barrier isn't an issue.

Gonzaga Rui isn't any worse than FIBA Rui. Facing even a slightly inferior competition could make a huge difference in how someone looks on the court. You know who won the Euroleague MVP this season?

Spoiler:

[prime1time]

Read on Twitter

The guy has a point. Those FIBA highlights are pretty remarkable. I especially like the pass he makes at 1:32.

It's possible that Hachimura is a much better and more aware team player when he is in an environment where the language barrier isn't an issue.

Gonzaga Rui isn't any worse than FIBA Rui. Facing even a slightly inferior competition could make a huge difference in how someone looks on the court. You know who won the Euroleague MVP this season?

Spoiler:

This might be true, but the reality is that Few took the player in the Fiba highlight above and turned him into a low post player. In the long run it could be a good thing, but in the short run it has led people to make assumptions about his game and his skill level. Also, lower competition makes players look good. But an NBA skill is an NBA skill. One dribble pull-ups, hopping into 3-pointers, step backs, eurosteps. That doesn't stop when you go into the NBA. It's one thing to dominate lower competition because of your superior athleticism and physical ability (which Rui does). Another thing to do it because of skill. Also, remember that Rui had only played basketball for 3 or 4 years when that clip was made.

Can anyone show me a clip of Sekou demonstrating the same skills against any competition?...

[dckingsfan]

You Washington Fans should be ashamed of yourselves. He's a solid, solid pick.

When the Spurs want someone in the draft, TRUST me, there's a huge reason for it.

He has the potential to become a really good scoring small forward, and Antwan Jamison is a great, great example of that. Or a bigger bulkier Rashward Lewis.

He needs to slim down more though, because I think he can be a great stretch 4 or a scoring 3. He also needs to work HARD on his defense. He can't be lazy with it.

I'm of the opinion he was the Best Player Available for you guys, and the 4th best player after RJ Barret.

He's 21 and is raw af. We're talking about a guy who played in Japan, not in America, and has been completely naive. 20 ppg off of .60% shooting from 2 is not easy to do, and this kids super raw, irregardless of the usage.

I'd actually hope that Brooks gives him the KD treatment the first year Durant was in Seattle, and funnel everything through him.

Raptors picked Demar at the 9th spot and we started him right away. It really did help, and to be honest I feel like Rui can be the Demar of the Powerforwards/Small Forwards, which is not that bad to be honest.

You should be ashamed of this post. You can do better than this... don't bring your second rate stuff to THIS board.

[prime1time]

He would’ve been better out of college but if brooks allow him to learn he should grow into his potential

The thing that jumps out the most regarding Rui's college highlights is that Brooks turned him into a low post scorer. This will provide huge dividends in the NBA. Just off of normal plays, Rui should be able to get 12-14 points easy. When I say normal plays I mean pick and pop, mismatch switches and transition. If he can make open 3's, which he has done already, that adds another 3-6 points. And on top of that you have his entire array of scoring moves to beat one-on-one defense. Did I mention that he's super raw? We can focus on his flaws all we want in this thread. Trae Young and Darius Garland are bad defenders. Does that mean they won't get on the court? With Brad scoring the way he does, Rui will be a force scoring the ball. Assuming we have a starting rotation of Tomas, Beal, Brown Jr., Rui and Bryant. If Brown Jr. and Bryant can knock down 3's that's going to be a very good offense and defensive team.

[AFM]

Rui literally is walking talking Rush Hour movie. When this guy is going supersaiyan and talking trash in Japanese ("NANI???") the haters on this board will be eating some serious crow sashimi. You guys make me sick.

[Gig18]

He would’ve been better out of college but if brooks allow him to learn he should grow into his potential

The thing that jumps out the most regarding Rui's college highlights is that Brooks turned him into a low post scorer. This will provide huge dividends in the NBA. Just off of normal plays, Rui should be able to get 12-14 points easy. When I say normal plays I mean pick and pop, mismatch switches and transition. If he can make open 3's, which he has done already, that adds another 3-6 points. And on top of that you have his entire array of scoring moves to beat one-on-one defense. Did I mention that he's super raw? We can focus on his flaws all we want in this thread. Trae Young and Darius Garland are bad defenders. Does that mean they won't get on the court? With Brad scoring the way he does, Rui will be a force scoring the ball. Assuming we have a starting rotation of Tomas, Beal, Brown Jr., Rui and Bryant. If Brown Jr. and Bryant can knock down 3's that's going to be a very good offense and defensive team.

I totally agree. (and I'm hoping I'm right ) After watching all of the videos posted I'm totally on board. I thought, frankly, that Rui looked a little mechanical at Gonzaga, but I think that's more a product of playing at Gonzaga, which gave him the low-post role. Looking at the FIBA game tapes and highlights, you can see that his game is more than what he showed in college. He was much more "kawhi-esque" in those clips--- the way he moved with the ball, even throwing no look passes, he looked looser.
anywho, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but Brad, Troy and Rui (and John, hoping he comes back strong) would be a pretty dang good core.

[TheAlchemist]

The problem with Rui is that hes slow. If he had an athletic first step and was bursting with speed he's top 5, perhaps top 3 in this draft.

I dont know if its conditioning or if it's just foot speed. I hope he can get faster and have a more athletic first step.

I can see a lot of Paul pierce in the guy too, if he loses weight and gets faster.

He looks big, but not strong enough to take guys into the post. Slimming down would help him a lot at the 3 spot.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Here's what Steph Curry had to say about Rui Hachimura...

"Just from watching him play, I know he's got good size, obviously," Curry said. "He seems to have a high basketball IQ, good touch around the rim too. I'm sure as he gets into the NBA his game will expand. I think he fits into the direction the NBA is going right now; being able to score and put pressure on the defense no matter what the situation is."

[TGW]

Damn what happened to his J? Looks like he had good elevation and arc on his jumpshot. His shot has very little arc now.

[Dat2U]

What makes Tyrus Thomas, good or bad, any kind of model for Brandon Clarke, I wonder?

How big was Dennis Rodman? Why is Steph such an outstanding rebounding guard? Size?

The biggest differences between Brandon Clarke & a whole bunch of other guys are a) his incredible athleticism -- not just jumping but jumping twice, jumping to the right place... I mean... you've watched him, right? And b) his extremely high BBIQ.

He is going to be an exceptional player in the NBA. The evidence for that is in how exceptional he has been so far.

Meh, I think you know by now that I've watched more of Clarke than you have. The better question is Did you watch Tyrus Thomsas when he was at LSU? He was every bit the athlete Clarke is.

You & I could take either of those guys....

A couple of teams played Tyrus at the 3 if I remember correctly. He spent a lot of time on the perimeter shooting shots he wasn't making but the game was also different then. It was tougher for a smaller dude b/c you were considered undersized if you were below 6-10 in shoes. With the game so perimeter oriented now it's very common to see a 6-6/6-7 SF slide to the 4.

Also keep in mind that Clarke's concerns should only be at the offensive end. He's certainly capable of switching onto guards and locking down perimeter players. You could even get away with him at the 3 as long as your 4/5 are floor spacers.

[deneem4]

I can’t talk about Clarke because I haven’t rewatched his games...but rui seems exceptionally because you can see he was improving during games...he was learning on the go and adopting his play towards what he was going against...

[dangermouse]

The problem with Rui is that hes slow. If he had an athletic first step and was bursting with speed he's top 5, perhaps top 3 in this draft.

I dont know if its conditioning or if it's just foot speed. I hope he can get faster and have a more athletic first step.

I can see a lot of Paul pierce in the guy too, if he loses weight and gets faster.

He looks big, but not strong enough to take guys into the post. Slimming down would help him a lot at the 3 spot.

I don't see this at all...

He does seem to have an athletic first step, at least when he is beating other big men with his first step, rip throughs and post moves to get to the basket and create space. In fact, I think that is the best part of his game, very Giannis-esque in that regard.

Its the rest of his game, on both ends of the court, that appears to be in slow motion. He's obviously athletic, so I think this is a BBIQ issue rather than a physical issue. Its quite strange, he is obviously very craft and smart around the basket. He muscles the smaller guys, and beats the bigger guys with his footwork and post moves. Thats why im not worried about his size vs. PFs in this era.

Playing him at the 3 spot would be a mistake. He looks out of place and unsure of what to do when he is on the perimeter being guarded by quicker guys, and his hesitation on shooting outside jumpers, or getting a pass to an open man out of a double team etc, is a little worrying. With confidence these things should improve.

He's a scoring faceup 4 to me.

[deneem4]

The problem with Rui is that hes slow. If he had an athletic first step and was bursting with speed he's top 5, perhaps top 3 in this draft.

I dont know if its conditioning or if it's just foot speed. I hope he can get faster and have a more athletic first step.

I can see a lot of Paul pierce in the guy too, if he loses weight and gets faster.

He looks big, but not strong enough to take guys into the post. Slimming down would help him a lot at the 3 spot.

I don't see this at all...

He does seem to have an athletic first step, at least when he is beating other big men with his first step, rip throughs and post moves to get to the basket and create space. In fact, I think that is the best part of his game, very Giannis-esque in that regard.

Its the rest of his game, on both ends of the court, that appears to be in slow motion. He's obviously athletic, so I think this is a BBIQ issue rather than a physical issue. Its quite strange, he is obviously very craft and smart around the basket. He muscles the smaller guys, and beats the bigger guys with his footwork and post moves. Thats why im not worried about his size vs. PFs in this era.

Playing him at the 3 spot would be a mistake. He looks out of place and unsure of what to do when he is on the perimeter being guarded by quicker guys, and his hesitation on shooting outside jumpers, or getting a pass to an open man out of a double team etc, is a little worrying. With confidence these things should improve.

He's a scoring faceup 4 to me.

His floor is a scoring face up something like Kieff
If brooks let him play he can develop into a shot creating play stopping defender..

[80sballboy]

Different point of view

Read on Twitter

?s=21

[oldshoolballer]

I think you guys got a good draft pick here. I have a Japan bias cause I love that country but I'll be watching more Wizards games next season.

Me too Rui was my favourite player in college Looks like I'm a Wizards fan Giannis was almost considered a bust at first But worked himself into an MVP Rui has that same work ethic