Isaac Bonga Needs His Own Thread.

[montestewart]

getting that D for 30 mins would be good.

He only looks like he's 38

[PerkinsFor3]

getting that D for 30 mins would be good.

He only looks like he's 38

His brother, a soccer player, doesnt look much older than 22 btw.

[BearlyBallin]

Watch on YouTube

Started the game at PF, 32 minutes, only 2 fouls, 7 rebounds. He looks bigger in the upper body and the NBCSports broadcast team mentioned a few times he looked taller then his listed 6’9”. They guessed he’s now 6’10” or 6’11”.

I felt he looked under control this game, earlier this season he sometimes seemed to try too hard and was moving so fast he looked off balance around the basket.

If he continues to grow and get stronger and improve his shooting, what position does he play?

[nate33]

Watch on YouTube

Started the game at PF, 32 minutes, only 2 fouls, 7 rebounds. He looks bigger in the upper body and the NBCSports broadcast team mentioned a few times he looked taller then his listed 6’9”. They guessed he’s now 6’10” or 6’11”.

I felt he looked under control this game, earlier this season he sometimes seemed to try too hard and was moving so fast he looked off balance around the basket.

If he continues to grow and get stronger and improve his shooting, what position does he play?

It's weird how he is agile and quick footed, but he has no explosion whatsoever. He can get by guys and get into the lane, but he doesn't ever dunk it.

Nevertheless, I like the continued emphasis on defense. I do think he is destined to be a PF.

By the way, Bonga was still listed at 6-8 (no shoes) this offseason:

Read on Twitter

[BearlyBallin]

Watch on YouTube

Started the game at PF, 32 minutes, only 2 fouls, 7 rebounds. He looks bigger in the upper body and the NBCSports broadcast team mentioned a few times he looked taller then his listed 6’9”. They guessed he’s now 6’10” or 6’11”.

I felt he looked under control this game, earlier this season he sometimes seemed to try too hard and was moving so fast he looked off balance around the basket.

If he continues to grow and get stronger and improve his shooting, what position does he play?

It's weird how he is agile and quick footed, but he has no explosion whatsoever. He can get by guys and get into the lane, but he doesn't ever dunk it.

Nevertheless, I like the continued emphasis on defense. I do think he is destined to be a PF.

By the way, Bonga was still listed at 6-8 (no shoes) this offseason:

Read on Twitter

I remember the official measurements but I think Miller, Kutcher & Gooden were speculating that Bonga has grown since the season began. As to the agile, quick feet but no burst/hops. I think when he uses his quick step & length (7’ wingspan), he makes up for it. Or at least I hope he will continue this as he grows stronger.

[nate33]

I doubt he has grown significantly in just 3 months. It's possible that that 6'-8" official measurement was pretty close to 6'-8.5" and if he grew even a fraction of an inch, he'd be considered 6'-9" and therefore be listed at 6'-10" in shoes.

[dckingsfan]

How old is Bonga again? (or Brown, Wagner or Bryant for that matter).

Pretty sure we are going to see a big jump out of him next year... just saying.

[wall_glizzy]

How old is Bonga again? (or Brown, Wagner or Bryant for that matter).

20, I think? I believe he was the youngest player in the NBA last year.

[doclinkin]

Started the game at PF, 32 minutes, only 2 fouls, 7 rebounds. He looks bigger in the upper body and the NBCSports broadcast team mentioned a few times he looked taller then his listed 6’9”. They guessed he’s now 6’10” or 6’11”.

I felt he looked under control this game, earlier this season he sometimes seemed to try too hard and was moving so fast he looked off balance around the basket.

If he continues to grow and get stronger and improve his shooting, what position does he play?

It's weird how he is agile and quick footed, but he has no explosion whatsoever. He can get by guys and get into the lane, but he doesn't ever dunk it.

Doesn't surprise me. He's got the footwork of all the Euro cats who grew up playing and watching futbol. Though he has been playing club level ball in a sports academy since he was 8 years old, so he has all the old cat wrinkles.

As to what role he plays if he improves: Pascal Siakam is a good rabbit to chase. Defensive stalwart who has ball handling skills and a face-up game with developing range. Mostly though he needs to eat and work with the trainers. At the start of the season he was the only NBA player with a BMI index of under 20. That's lean as a graveyard fence.

[BearlyBallin]

How old is Bonga again? (or Brown, Wagner or Bryant for that matter).

Pretty sure we are going to see a big jump out of him next year... just saying.

He turned 20 in November and as Nate reminded us earlier...

It's easy to forget how young Bonga is.

He's 6 months younger than Troy Brown, a year-and-a-half younger than Hachimura, two-and-a-half years younger than Wagner and Schofield, and 3 years younger than Mathews.

[BearlyBallin]

Read on Twitter

?s=20
360 degree view lol

[payitforward]

Bonga just turned 20 on November 8. Troy Brown is 3+ months older than Bonga. Thomas Bryant is almost exactly 2 years older than Brown -- turned 22 July 30, 2019. Mo Wagner is 3 months older than Bryant. Admiral is a month older than Mo. & Rui is 21 -- he'll turn 22 a month from tomorrow.

These 6 guys average @21.5 years old. Add Mathews, & you have 7 players who average under 22 years old.

[I_Like_Dirt]

It's weird how he is agile and quick footed, but he has no explosion whatsoever. He can get by guys and get into the lane, but he doesn't ever dunk it.

Nevertheless, I like the continued emphasis on defense. I do think he is destined to be a PF.

I'd label him more as just a forward rather than a PF or SF. He's versatile enough that he could move around a bit depending on who he's playing with. I don't necessarily foresee any issues with Bonga and Rui playing together (though it'd be nice if Rui could improve from 3 to help make it work) and I don't really think it would matter who you called the SF and who you called the PF. He's quietly having himself a decent season and I have this sneaking suspicion that he's going to be one of those players who just keeps improving every year while other players plateau.

[Illmatic12]

Best game of Bonga’s brief career thus far :

Watch on YouTube

[I_Like_Dirt]

Bonga's skillset seems to oddly be a solid fit next to Beal. He's an outlet ballhandler but he doesn't use a lot of possessions and will happily play defense and pick his spots without worrying about what his box score looks like. Honestly, to that end, I like what the team is doing with starting Bonga and bringing Brown off the bench for more minutes. Bonga as the low-usage utility player alongside multi-tool high-usage players is a very good fit. It isn't that Brown and Beal can't play together because they obviously can. You just want to be sure you have one of them on the floor at all times to maximize their abilities and Bonga lets you do that.

[Ruzious]

Bonga's skillset seems to oddly be a solid fit next to Beal. He's an outlet ballhandler but he doesn't use a lot of possessions and will happily play defense and pick his spots without worrying about what his box score looks like. Honestly, to that end, I like what the team is doing with starting Bonga and bringing Brown off the bench for more minutes. Bonga as the low-usage utility player alongside multi-tool high-usage players is a very good fit. It isn't that Brown and Beal can't play together because they obviously can. You just want to be sure you have one of them on the floor at all times to maximize their abilities and Bonga lets you do that.

I'd like to go forward in time and see what he'll be in 2 or 3 years. He's such a versatile defender, and he might be bigger by then. Having played PG in his formative years, he has PG skills. He just... has trouble shooting. He still makes rookie type mistakes, but all he needs to be a legit rotation player is a reasonably reliable 3 point shot.

[payitforward]

I know what you mean! I think he's a really talented kid.

[nate33]

Bonga's skillset seems to oddly be a solid fit next to Beal. He's an outlet ballhandler but he doesn't use a lot of possessions and will happily play defense and pick his spots without worrying about what his box score looks like. Honestly, to that end, I like what the team is doing with starting Bonga and bringing Brown off the bench for more minutes. Bonga as the low-usage utility player alongside multi-tool high-usage players is a very good fit. It isn't that Brown and Beal can't play together because they obviously can. You just want to be sure you have one of them on the floor at all times to maximize their abilities and Bonga lets you do that.

I'd like to go forward in time and see what he'll be in 2 or 3 years. He's such a versatile defender, and he might be bigger by then. Having played PG in his formative years, he has PG skills. He just... has trouble shooting. He still makes rookie type mistakes, but all he needs to be a legit rotation player is a reasonably reliable 3 point shot.

Yes, the emergence of his defense is significant. Frankly, if he keeps it up while also developing a passable catch-and-shoot corner-three, he might be more useful in the short term than Hachimura. 3&D specialists who are actually good at 3&D are more useful than jack-of-all trades, master-of-none guys like Hachimura.

Unfortunately, neither one of them rebound very well.

[DCZards]

Yes, the emergence of his defense is significant. Frankly, if he keeps it up while also developing a passable catch-and-shoot corner-three, he might be more useful in the short term than Hachimura. 3&D specialists who are actually good at 3&D are more useful than jack-of-all trades, master-of-none guys like Hachimura.

Unfortunately, neither one of them rebound very well.

It's been clear from the outset that Bonga's D would be his calling card. I'm also impressed by his ballhandling, especially his ability to go end-to-end and either finish at the rim or find an open teammate. That skill showed up in the film from Bonga's days in the G League and with the Lakers.

I see the Bonga vs. Hachimura comparison as more of a Bonga and Hachimura thing. Bonga is the defender that the Zards (or any team for that matter) needs and I'm hopeful that Rui will become the versatile scorer (especially if he can nail the 3) that teams need as well.

Of course, it would be great if Bonga became a better shooter and scorer and Rui improved his D as well as his rebounding.

[I_Like_Dirt]

I'd like to go forward in time and see what he'll be in 2 or 3 years. He's such a versatile defender, and he might be bigger by then. Having played PG in his formative years, he has PG skills. He just... has trouble shooting. He still makes rookie type mistakes, but all he needs to be a legit rotation player is a reasonably reliable 3 point shot.

You never know with these things but I'm skeptical he ever develops a 3. And if he does, it will likely look more like Iguodala's where people point to it and suggest he can shoot or that it's greatly helping his game when it's a positive but nothing groundbreaking and he can really only shoot from one or two spots on the floor. I'd be stoked if he could shoot more, and stranger things have happened but I definitely don't see even the Iguodala=level shooting as likely.

That said, even just a few spots inside the 3-point line would do it. Mostly with him, it's court awareness and that's where I feel playing PG younger helped him. He needs to be on point on defense and he needs to see the floor on offense. He seems like he could do some of the things Ben Simmons does, not as well but he also isn't afraid to shoot and he's willing to play a position other than PG and take on a role where he allows players who can shoot from various spots on the floor to do more of the ballhandling.