Why NBA teams should be interested in Mike James (update : signs with NETS)

[King4Day]

10 day contract for sure.
Maybe a camp invite before next season.

4mil though? He has done nothing to earn it.

He scored 20 points per game in EUroleague on good percentages. Here, this is NBAs problem, they will go out of the way to just throw money on familiar names, THis is why Sasha Vujacic and Kyrylo Fesenko were in NBA rumors years after they washed just because NBA GMs once saw them in the league and knew their names basically, even tho these guys were 10th. men on Euro teams. I mean come on, I argue that 4 Mil for player like him is bargain, thats the premise of a thread.

It's not so much that.
The problem is, he has his reputation from the NBA and it wasn't good. There's no doubt he may have improved (and did based on your feedback), but NBA teams need to see if it translates.

PJ Tucker carved a new rep in Europe but he still had to fight to make it back to the NBA and the Suns gave him a chance in camp/preseason and he earned a spot.

Cam Payne just had a good season in the G-League and was rewarded with an 8 game tryout in the bubble and a non guaranteed 2nd year (vet min).

Point being, teams will need to see that what he's doing isn't a fluke before shelling out more than the vet minimum.

[UcanUwill]

Watching CSKA game now, and I get that Euroleague is not golden standard, but there is no way this guy wouldnt translate to the NBA right now, as good as Americans ever were in Europe, pure dominance. His finishing and shooting is just so much improved.

[DreamTeam09]

He was putting up numbers on the Suns team wasn't he? Teams just don't like scorers who haven't come with the pedigree. Ala beasley

[kg01]

There is only Juan Dixon.

FIFY

Haha, thanks for that lol.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Hahha Raptor fans know

Sadly... so do Timberwolves fans.

[UcanUwill]

He was putting up numbers on the Suns team wasn't he? Teams just don't like scorers who haven't come with the pedigree. Ala beasley

At a time, even in Europe he was known as inefficient chucker, he would chuck more than his skills allowed, but his talent finally caught up with his shooting, I tell you. Right now, maybe its a crazy form, I mean hotstreak form the same Larkin had last season (Larkin is back to earth this year), but man is he much better than what he was in Phoenix and Athens, in Moscow a lot of Euroleague stars come and turn grey, like Shengelia and Milutinov, they are still good, but they are smaller fish in a bigger pond now, but this Mike James is just outshining everyone,

I thought outside Campazzo, this guy is most NBA material not in the league right now. There is no way he is worse than Jordan Clarkson right now, put Mike James in the NBA, he is one of the best 6th man in the league IMO.

We had former NBA guards turn into stars in Europe, for example DeColo, Shved, Rodriguez and Larkin, but if you watch them regularly like I do, they often put up some play or performance that is straight out of shaqting a fool, Shved is especially prone to this, that reminds you why exactly these guys are not in the league really, not like they would be worst players in the NBa, but you know what I mean. But current Mike James almost never really put up an emberassing play, his confidence and execution is top notch.

[Bologna Smasher]

I can definitely see some teams give him a try at the minimum similar to what they did with Jimmer Fredette when he came back recently. He would honestly be better off staying in Europe since he would have to do something similar to Campazzo where he has to pay for his buyout, which wouldn't be worth it for him based on the type of money he'd get in the NBA. There are still some decent point guards left in free agency which would make NBA teams less likely to offer him anything more than the minimum.

Comes down to whether you would rather pay Mike James 3-4M a year or one of these guys for the minimum.

Isaiah Thomas
Emmanuel Mudiay
Shabazz Napier
Jeremy Lin
Yogi Ferrell
Brandon Knight
J.J. Barea

[dkb9696]

There can only be one

I thought I went back in time there for a minute. James was chucking the one great year he had in Toronto, but he was hitting shots.

[inquisitive]

I wonder if the old Mike James might be better than the young Mike James

[LV-Suns]

I am still upset that the Suns cut Derrick Jones Jr to keep this guy on the roster for few more weeks.

[Lockdown504090]

so he couldnt stick because of his attitude and his jumpshot. He didnt really have "role player mentality" and he wasnt good enough at shooting the ball or finishing to warrant being a teams scoring guard off the bench. He still jumps too high of the dribble when he shoots, sometimes shoots on the way down on occasion, although hes been doing better with than now. His range is still lacking a bit but fixing the rhythm on his shot will help him get more range. unless he really strugles against length this season, he will get looks though, because he is shooting better, and has not lost any athleticism.

[-InFeRnO-]

WHO????!!!!

[playaloc916]

I still remember that interview with OG Mike James when he said "they say, you miss 100% of the shots you take"... he wasn't wrong.

[UcanUwill]

so he couldnt stick because of his attitude and his jumpshot. He didnt really have "role player mentality" and he wasnt good enough at shooting the ball or finishing to warrant being a teams scoring guard off the bench. He still jumps too high of the dribble when he shoots, sometimes shoots on the way down on occasion, although hes been doing better with than now. His range is still lacking a bit but fixing the rhythm on his shot will help him get more range. unless he really strugles against length this season, he will get looks though, because he is shooting better, and has not lost any athleticism.

I agree that hes not ideal as a role player, thats a big part why I usually not so high on these guys from NBA perspective, like for example Scottie Vilbekin, good player, but how would he look if he was 9-10th guy on a team, probably not very comfortable. Thats why I usually more optimistic for role players like Ricky Rubio or same Facundo Campazzo sticking around the league longer. Its unorthodox for me to hype a veteran Euroleague player who is so into number one guy role. But that said this Mike James guy legit, and I think he could fit very well in 6th. man role, playing 24 minutes and scoring 15 points, handling the ball, dishing some dimes. He is NBA level athlete, ball handler and shooter, I actually can see rotation periods where he could be offensive leader even on NBA teams, he is not 10th. man anymore, I really believe put him on any team and hes in the topper echelon of players. Hes been nasty, 20.6 points per game, 44.3 3PT%, 154 FGA and 72 FTA, basically a FT to every 2 FGAs, and more than half of his shots are 3s, so he is just shooting 3s lights out or just getting to the line.

[Lockdown504090]

so he couldnt stick because of his attitude and his jumpshot. He didnt really have "role player mentality" and he wasnt good enough at shooting the ball or finishing to warrant being a teams scoring guard off the bench. He still jumps too high of the dribble when he shoots, sometimes shoots on the way down on occasion, although hes been doing better with than now. His range is still lacking a bit but fixing the rhythm on his shot will help him get more range. unless he really strugles against length this season, he will get looks though, because he is shooting better, and has not lost any athleticism.

I agree that hes not ideal as a role player, thats a big part why I usually not so high on these guys from NBA perspective, like for example Scottie Vilbekin, good player, but how would he look if he was 9-10th guy on a team, probably not very comfortable. Thats why I usually more optimistic for role players like Ricky Rubio or same Facundo Campazzo sticking around the league longer. Its unorthodox for me to hype a veteran Euroleague player who is so into number one guy role. But that said this Mike James guy legit, and I think he could fit very well in 6th. man role, playing 24 minutes and scoring 15 points, handling the ball, dishing some dimes. He is NBA level athlete, ball handler and shooter, I actually can see rotation periods where he could be offensive leader even on NBA teams, he is not 10th. man anymore, I really believe put him on any team and hes in the topper echelon of players. Hes been nasty, 20.6 points per game, 44.3 3PT%, 154 FGA and 72 FTA, basically a FT to every 2 FGAs, and more than half of his shots are 3s, so he is just shooting 3s lights out or just getting to the line.

yes... before he couldnt be efficent enough to justify giving him the ball like that in second units, but assuming the 76ers make some kind of move involving ben simmons and shake milton for harden, that would be an ideal pickup for them with the limited ball handling they have. The suns rockets and knicks probably have a decent level of interest as well.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Minimum salary valet driver.

[UcanUwill]

Watch on YouTube

[r0drig0lac]

cmon Mike..

[Pattycakes]

He's another one of those guys a bottom feeder can trust to throw in and light up opponents second units in meaningless minutes. There's a market, but it feels like the league's bottom half is at least trying to compete now with all the uncertainty around everything. Maybe a Det?

[Bob8]

Watch on YouTube

To be honest, Khimki is the worst defensive team in Europe. Shved and McCollum the worst defensive duo ever.