nate33 wrote:doclinkin wrote:That said, as far as diamond in the rough type players, we have one on the squad. As Isaac Bonga adds a bit of muscle over the offseason and next few years, I think we will see an upgrade in play at the tweener wing-forward position.
Bonga's on/off numbers are really impressive.
Bertans also has great on/off numbers, but part of that was due to him playing on a second unit that Brooks tended to stack in an effort to outplay the opposition's second unit. Bonga, on the other hand, put up very good on/off numbers while on the starting team going against the opposition's best players. Indeed, he was the only player on the roster with a non-negative on-court +/-.
On/off numbers are a bit noisy so I don't want to read too much into it, but they really do suggest that Bonga makes a real difference out there, presumably on the defensive end.
The mini offseason helped him. He added about 10 lbs of muscle and said he had started to figure out his nutrition better. Looked a little bigger on court in the bubble, and his on/off numbers while in the bubble were even more ridiculous. If he keeps adding size, strength, and confidence in his shot, then he could be an incredibly versatile player for us. He can handle and pass like a PG, defends well already, rebounds willingly and well, hits 80% from the FT line. As his range/3FG% increases he becomes not just a glue guy but a weapon. Fortunately adding muscle and range are 2 things you can reliably develop in your NBA career, and while his face looks like he's 60yrs old, he was our youngest player last year. To be playing precocious basketball already promises good things from this young cat.