ParticleMan wrote:grindtime22 wrote:SLCceltic wrote:Missed your 2nd paragraph checking those stats. What makes you think this about GH ?? He has looked great in preseason. Paul George did not begin to play at full strength until second year.
GH should have a big year !
Are people saying that about PG because of 6 games at the end of the year? I know he says that he didn't feel full strength until the 2nd year, but he was still really, really, really good that 1st real year back. He took another step forward the following year, but that 1st year back was arguably the best season of his career to that point. 23/7/4 and he took it up a level in the postseason.
I'm optimistic about Hayward just to get that out there though.
i really hope you guys are right, but i haven't seen the same explosion and quickness that hayward had with utah. while it was never top-shelf, this was actually an important part of his game, and opened up his outside shooting. if after 2 years he hasn't gotten this back, i'm guessing it's not coming back. for a guy who was a borderline all star to begin with, i think it puts him into very good but below AS level.
i mean look at this... i haven't seen this in boston yet:
i absolutely think he can and will be a huge part of our team this year. but longer term? if he opts out, what contract do we offer him? he plays roughly the same position as tatum and brown, although he brings different skills. if i have to give 25m per year to someone, it's not going to be GH at age 31-35 instead of brown and/or tatum. then we've got langford who hopefully will be our SG of the future if all goes well. i like this kid, don't get me wrong, i just think he's got a ways to go to get to brown/tatum level. but he's also much younger.
bottom line i think hayward's days with us are numbered. really sucks about his injury, he would have been amazing without that, but it is what it is.
When i watch that vid, im actually encouraged. To me, he looked just about as athletic in the preseason as in the video. Which is to say, moderately athletic by nba standards.
He has a strong frame and a hard first step he uses to put his defender on his heels. IMO, his biggest problem after the injury was mental, in that he didnt trust that hard step, be it to drive or to plant and elevate. He was passive, and that doesnt work on the court. Im sure there was a bit of pain too. Trainers can tell you the pain is not dangerous, but its hard to suppress the biological imperative to avoid it.
Either way, his performance this preseason has me cautiously optimistic, although i dont put a ton of stock in preseason. I think that physically, he looks muchbetter.
One other thing to consider, those jazz teams were built so that gordo could do whatever he wanted, and everyone was there to complement his game. That makes it easier, but i think there is a definite ceiling on a supergordo offense
Hopefully he finds a way to fit in better this year than last. But then, i could say the same about every single player who returned
Obviously, im rooting for him