urinesane wrote:That wasn't what was being asked of him. The only reason to pass it at his position is if he were on the perimeter or getting double/triple teamed. Would you rather have him pass up an easy dunk to pass to a shooter on the perimeter?
Just like with KAT and people thinking he couldn't shoot the three based on his season at Kentucky, that wasn't the role he was given on that team, so he developed his post game and people assumed that's all he could do.
There's a big difference between being able to do something and being in a system that asks you to do something else (which he did very well in the small sample size we have). He was asked to be a monster on the boards, in the low post, and to protect the rim. By all of the examples we have, he did that VERY well.
Don't get me wrong, he will have issues at the NBA level as a rim protector until he learns to not bite on pump fakes, but that's pretty low level stuff for Centers that don't have a bag of sand for brains to learn at the NBA level (remember how much foul trouble Pek had his rookie year?).
Unlike Wiseman's passing/three point shooting, the other red flags we point to in Edwards/Ball's games are things that they had free reign to do and failed miserably at against MUCH weaker competition than the NBA. Wiseman dominated the teams he played, what else can we ask of him in those situations?
This is not the only place I've heard or seen this, but here's a snippet from Wiseman's scouting report on The Stepien:
Passing: Not a passer. Had one nice pass vs South Carolina State in semi-transition, but that was the only one that flashed during his brief time in college. Even during AAU, he was not a passer – always way more of a finisher, or someone who tried to finish (forced a lot). Flashed some very basic passing in AAU/HS, but they were stationary looks and no PnR short roll / movement passes. Because he was boxed in to a more specific role in college (purely a finisher and screen setter), his job was to simply finish when he got the ball in the paint. However, again, going back to the AAU/HS tape, there is plenty of poor shots / missing open teammates. Turnovers weren’t really an issue in the tiny sample size in college (3 turnovers in 3 games, though only 1 assist…but, again, his role was a finisher), but they were in AAU/HS. As a rising senior, he had turnovers to 14 assists in 21 games in Peach Jam and EYBL. As a junior, he was at 18 turnovers to 9 assists. There is ample evidence that he is severely lacking as a passer and decision-making / feel going back to his pre-college tape. His role in the NBA should be one that minimizes the thinking on the fly aspect…unless he is able to develop it in time, which means the game would have to slow down for him quite a bit. Keep him as a rim runner / screener.
He's mentioned, as you said, how Memphis did not ask that of Wiseman. But he's even gone back to his AAU and high school footage as evidence for his lack of skill in passing.
When the Wolves won the lottery, outside of trading the first overall pick for potentially a star like Booker, I immediately thought of Wiseman. But because Rosas and Saunders want a specific style of play built around Towns as the center, the fit is not there. With Russell (3-year contract) and Towns (4-year contract), I'm not sure why a backup center would be selected. I don't believe he can play on the floor alongside Towns on the defensive end. Towns isn't moving to PF. And it doesn't sound as if Wiseman could hang there either:
Defensive Role: Rim protector, drop big. Not someone I’d want out in space because his footwork is pretty poor, not great of turning hips, has “heavy feet,” and isn’t balanced in space. Footwork can be cleaned up to remedy some of these issues, but he’s a good rim protector when he sees what’s in front of him. Needs to work on awareness as the back-end of defense, but it improved from AAU to college (some miscommunication issues during the small sample size in college, though not necessarily his fault). Timing affecting shots around the rim is good.
Regarding Ball, I am neither high nor low on the prospect. Should he be selected first overall, I see him mainly as another asset for Rosas to use later on.
I feel Edwards, though, does fit best of the three we are discussing. That doesn't mean he's the one to go with. Neither Russell nor Beasley are known for attacking the basket, something Edwards can do. And if you're going to use the shooting form argument for Wiseman, why can it not be the same for Edwards? I actually buy into the theory that his role on the team and lack of a decent surrounding cast lead to his lower shooting percentages. The worry with the Georgia prospect is his willingness to play -- the Wiggins' effect.
