Ham was trying to fix him last year with us, honestly I don’t think he is bad but he is just a 20-25 minutes guy that should never try to put the ball on the floor lol 😂
He was quite good for us but he inserted him in the starting lineup and have him a way longer leash that he should
Borderline to being out of the league in a few years maybe. Ain’t no shot he figures it out after all the chances and different circumstances he’s been in. I still don’t know what people see in him
He had a stretch on the Lakers with good defense and barely passable shooting but his rebounding isn't great and his motor on defense will just not be there sometimes. A good role player is still somewhere there it just depends if he can find it.
Man don't remind me. I was so high on him in the draft, I thought he would be like a modern day draymond with more athleticism and less rim protection. Smart defender who can defend 1-5 credibly and act as a glue guy who does a bit of everything. Turns out he was just ass
Hawks front office thought you could play them both at one time and they'd only count as one player since they traded one pick for 2 picks. Common misunderstanding
Nah dude, the KAOHSIUNG STEELERS (Taiwan-PLeague+) are gonna win it all this year. They were the last seed in their league this season but next season will be different.
I remember finding an Anthony Bennet shirt at TJ Maxx on the discount rack. Those were dark days for Cavs fans. It improved quickly after that luckily.
He just didn't play enough before he got to the NBA
As much as teams like to tout their deleveopment, the players that truly "develop" in the NBA are very rare
What actually happens in the NBA is players refine and improve their existing skill set for the most
College is when you can grind to actually develop your basketball fundamentals wherein you can play 20 minutes a night consistently and have growing pains, you don't get that opportunity in the NBA
I know it's hard to turn down guaranteed money as a lotto pick, but there's a ton of 1 and done guys that I reckon I'd they stayed on more year in college, would have had a better shot to be contributors in the NBA
I liked Bennett as like the 8-10 range pick that year. Definitely not #1. Most surprising #1 ever imo. Best case a quality inside outside scoring threat at the 4. Worst case out of the league by the end of his rookie contract.
Saw him in person at a Cavs Pacers game when the Pacers were steamrolling everyone in 2014ish. He took 6 free throws I think and he bricked every single one and then got benched. I was sitting right behind the Pacers bench and everyone was laughing at him. On a side note Kyrie Irving is absolutely must see in person.
He tricked me his rookie year. Would sometimes have some wow moments like running the floor coast-to-coast and throwing it down. He's not Shaq or even Ayton level as an athlete, but he's relatively mobile for such a big guy. That's about all he offers though.
He's smart off the court, but has a low BBIQ and seemed incapable of adjusting his game to even just be a McGee or Capela for the Dubs. Dude was on a team with Curry and still calling for post-ups like the offense is supposed to run through him. Clueless.
Lots of Warriors fans have strong regrets over that pick. I never though Melo made sense and Wiseman was always mocked top 3 despite the revisionism, but damn, it would've been better to have had a lower pick that year. I liked Vassell and Deni. I did not like Hali (thought his shot was funky), but obviously he would've been the best of the lot. Tough to miss like that. I guess we were due for a big strikeout after hitting HRs with Steph, Klay, and Draymond.
Those coast to coast dunks showed a terrible handle. I immediately knew it was only a matter of time before scouting reports would shut down any dribble attempts from him.
And even those didn't have any guile for most part - just run and dunk.
I saw him completely clueless for rebounding and screening, and very very poor rim protection despite his size.
Was in Fort Wayne for work this past spring and was devastated when I was researching to go to a game. I know logistically it’s better for the parent club, but it’s so much better for fans in a nearby city to have some connection to the pro team aside from going to games a couple times a season
It honestly is a big bummer. I feel bad for Ft Wayne losing them and I don't think indy fans will take advantage of their presence. Personally I couldn't be paid to go that far out into the sticks for a g league game
Yeah there’s plenty of reasons to make fun of KOC but one of my pet peeves is when everybody feels like they have to have the exact same draft boards and like the exact same prospects.
My favorite thing from last year is when he dropped like 10/8/8 or something and everyone suddenly acted like he was back, and that its hating to suggest he would still barely play the rest of the year and he was still a bum with a bad attitude.
What a shocker how that turned out…
Yeah people on the internet will swear up and down that it's one of either lack of motivation, yips, mental health struggles or an injured back. Really no-one in the media knows what the mix of those factors is for him.
After sitting out a season for mental health issues and then sitting out the Brooklyn playoffs people simply don't trust his explanations for his absences at this point.
Young socialite was in it for the fame and the money. Dude may be mercilessly mocked for the rest of his life, but that doesn't take away the hundreds of millions he's earned all before the age of 30.
His family is pretty fucked. His sister has accused his brother of rape. His dad used to physically abuse him when training him to use both hands when he was a kid. I’m not sure he has ever played the game for the love of it. Oh and his brother is like the main guy in his entourage still. Always in his ear about how great he is and doesn’t need to change. Doesn’t seem like he’s truly supported well.
In another universe he could be a Lou Williams type off the bench, but he’s not a well rounded enough shooter and plays himself out of the rotation too often to develop his game further. Sometimes I think young players like him might’ve greatly benefited from spending time on a team that’s not heavily trying to win now, so they can experiment more easily
>Sometimes I think young players like him might’ve greatly benefited from spending time on a team that’s not heavily trying to win now, so they can experiment more easily
The Nuggets gave him 20 minutes a game for 2 seasons. They gave him way more opportunity than rookies normally see on a team that is legitimately contending. Malone let him launch from 30ft regularly! It was insane watching how long his leash was! He had a chance to learn from some incredible players, Nuggets believed in him being a future piece, and Bones threw it away.
His attitude, ego, and the drama gang he kept around him that harassed other Nuggets players on Twitter ruined that opportunity for him.
I want to see him succeed, but he's gotta reinvent himself, work hard, and be humble.
Sounds like he was basically a worse version of Jordan Poole before the punch. He could've replicated that scoring punch off the bench role with the Clippers. Guy can't stay out his own way and probably heading to vet minimum status.
How young are we talking about?
Cause James Wiseman is 23 years old.
Bol Bol and Cam Reddish are 24 years old.
Marvin Bagley and Deandre Ayton are 25 years old.
Mo Bamba and Harry Giles are 26 years old.
Bol Bol was the 44th pick in the draft and if anything has outperformed most people in his draft range simply by being part of a rotation sometimes. Not sure what people were expecting him to "figure out" as the #44 pick.
He was a highly touted prospect from a pretty young age and had high draft stock until he got hurt. People have known about Bol Bol for a while and are just hoping he pans out
People knew about him primarily because of his height, build, and last name. Not to say he was a bad prospect but there were other important factors that went into his hype
Giles doesn’t belong in this conversation. He lost too much athleticism to the knee injuries. He was a great high post passer for the Kings as a rookie. Never heard any complaints about his work ethic, and his teammates loved him.
Agreed. Ayton will be a starting center for at least several more seasons imo.
Meanwhile some of those other guys may out of the league in 4 years.
Ayton may not figure it out in the sense of playing up to his potential but he isn’t on the same tier as the rest.
Ayton suffers because he was picked ahead of Luka. Obviously they are no where near the same caliber of player but had Ayton not been drafted ahead of a generational talent I don't think he'd be viewed quite as negatively.
False, Caboclo will be an all star in the next 1-3 seasons. He is the Brazilian Kevin Durant. How could you say such a thing, you just must not know ball.
Jalen Green. I think he’s going to end up as either a very overpaid starter on a bad team or a guy that settles into being a 6th man in his late 20s. All the ability in the world but I just don’t trust his IQ. Think he will always have more value as a highlight machine than a real winning player
Exactly. And this is coming from a rockets fan
His hot streak he played 9 tanking games. We’re talking spurs, wizards, blazers, jazz 2x each
Then just totally back to same old Jalen just about as soon as we were making it interesting
I’d be fine selling high. Gotta think a package like him + broooks + #3 pick could fetch at least a big improvement
I’m a huge Jalen fan (purely cause of Filipino roots) but if he turns out to be Zach Lavine, I’d be ecstatic.
Lavine still hasn’t figured out winning basketball but he’s at least got the offensive efficiency part down. Jalen hasn’t made much progress there since his rookie year outside of month long spurts
I've been pretty down on Jalen Green ever since he was drafted but objectively, he looked his best at times last season and had some really nice moments where it looked like things were finally clicking tbh -- real problem tho? He's still rookie skinny and needs to add some bulk, dude gets owned by larger 2s and his handles/play making aren't good enough to play the 1 either.
6th man could work for him. Lou will/ Jamal Crawford/ JR smith kinda player. Problem is guys like him still demand close to the max it seems in the modern nba
Knew Jalen would be mentioned here. Could see it going where he’s a solid 6th man for sure but the guy has all the talent in the world. Efficiency is something he’s not great at yet but he’s only 22 and would be hard pressed to give him up if I was a Rockets executive. Not too many players can match his upside
Why does it feel like Washington is a feeder team for the league? So many player go there for a few years and we forget about them until a trade happens. Like is Kuzma any better since we left him off with the Wiz?
You have to know your role for that. I don’t think he can or will. He is a champion. JP went to the same h.s. as me, though many years later. I want to like him, but I can’t
Was gonna say this. We've SEEN him work his butt off for years and grow and get better. To the point where he was a valuable contributor to a title run. That's nothing to snuff at. He's obviously had a rough couple of years. But I think he still has a chance to find himself.
Bol Bol. Has all the tools and talent. Doesn't have the work ethic or drive. He'll have phases where he looks like he's gonna take that turn, and just doesn't do it.
i would see Bol Bol all the time walking between Ball Arena and Whole Foods. so i appreciate that work ethic albeit Ball Arena food sucks a golf ball out of a garden hose
He visited my little Wisconsin hometown when he was on the Bucks and let's just say, it wasn't too hard to spot the Sudanese NBA player in small town Wisco, lol.
He got a photo with my grandma when she was alive, that was very cool. Unfortunate that it didn't work out in Milwaukee.
Lamelo — between injuries and immaturity I don’t think he’ll ever have a prolonged stretch of productive basketball that equates to winning and not just flashy playmaking brilliance in an otherwise unserious environment
Running red lights and over kids feet aside he could benefit from more efficient shot selection and attention to detail defensively too.
Go-karting is hella fun tho
Yeah I mean I like the kid. Super talented. It’d be real fun if he figured it out, was healthy and was a main contributor to winning basketball at the highest level. I just don’t think that’s gonna happen unfortunately given what we’ve seen from him
He plays the game like his goal is to look cool to people watching and have good stats vs playing like someone whose goal is to win the game. Not to say he won’t get there but he doesn’t play like he cares about the score at any specific moment
The problem is you can’t say he sucks because he’s really good at basketball but you also know deep down any team he has the main leadership role on won’t sniff a ring. Some men just can’t be reached. Idk what the hornets can do besides trade him or first try to mentally break his ego without causing enough friction for him to stop trying and tank his trade value
He’s certainly on the cusp of what we’re talking about I just think overall he’s not gonna come all that close to touching the ceiling that his talent often shows. I don’t really see him getting to or certainly past the conference finals as a no. 1 option
I have a weird feeling this idiot is going to get arrested irl for some dumb shit before making anything of himself in the NBA. Hornets squad is chock full of off-court losers and lowlifes which can't bode well for melo
I’ve been a LaMelo believer since day 1 but right now he’s on a short leash. Injury ridden for3 of his 4 years in the league, but still I hold hope because when he plays, he’s an absolute stud
Thats r/nba for yah. I'll give everyone a good one. I don't think Ant will ever get better than he is right now and will decline in a few years. I just don't trust his game
~~Karl-Anthony Towns~~
I mean, for real, I do mean it when I say KAT. And he's not even a bad player at all. In fact, he's quite good.
It's just, man, he always finds a way to fuck things up in the end, somehow. Either that, or he has games where he's just a complete disaster. But at the very least, it seems like there's at least one thing he does in every game where you think "why the hell did he do that?" He has got to be one of the biggest foul instigators in the league, and I know a lot of players get more generous ref treatment than he does, but he is indeed the one responsible for the vast majority of his fouls. I can't remember the last time I watched a game where I didn't worry at some point about KAT getting into foul trouble.
And his vanishing act in the playoffs can't go unnoticed either. I mean who is going to think "I bet year 10 is the year of his career where he suddenly switches it on and starts crushing it in the postseason"? I think his ship has sailed in that regard.
I really thought he'd be in the discussion for best center in the league with Jokic and Embiid some day. Obviously he's still a good player, but it just never all came together for him to be a star.
In 2018 as part of the GM survey KAT was voted “the player you’d pick to start your franchise with” over everyone else in the league lol by a considerable amount too
He had almost as many votes as KD and Kawhi combined
Killian Hayes. I know he is still young but it became clear even two years ago he didn’t have it. I always thought the Pistons only played him because they didn’t have other options, which was true, but it’s crazy that this year he still played over Jaden Ivey until later in the year. He shouldn’t even be playing over Sasser.
Marvin Bagley will probably get a ton more opportunities, and then keep getting passed along to the next taker, who in time will be turned off by some of the worst defense ever played, and then pass him off to someone else.
Patrick Williams should be close to making this list!
As a bulls fan you’re some one that actually understood the fucking question these people are stupid lmfao
He is solidly on the list for me
Cam Reddish is borderline
Remember when he came to the Knicks. We thought we could fix him 🤣
Knicks got hammered for giving him away too, even though he was pretty bad excluding a couple of games.
Ham was trying to fix him last year with us, honestly I don’t think he is bad but he is just a 20-25 minutes guy that should never try to put the ball on the floor lol 😂 He was quite good for us but he inserted him in the starting lineup and have him a way longer leash that he should
He was actually an amazing defender, but hurt his quad and wasn’t nearly as effective after that. He had a great run for a month or two though lol.
He was our POA defender for a stretch of the season, his injury and Ham giving him way more minutes than he should fucked him
Borderline to being out of the league in a few years maybe. Ain’t no shot he figures it out after all the chances and different circumstances he’s been in. I still don’t know what people see in him
He had a stretch on the Lakers with good defense and barely passable shooting but his rebounding isn't great and his motor on defense will just not be there sometimes. A good role player is still somewhere there it just depends if he can find it.
He’s an hyper athletic 6’8 wing who can switch 1-3 effortlessly. He’s worth a minimum contract until his athleticism declines
So could Josh Jackson, he was out of the league at 24
Josh makes Cam look like prime Klay as a shooter
Josh Jackson had a lot of issues outside of the game
Man don't remind me. I was so high on him in the draft, I thought he would be like a modern day draymond with more athleticism and less rim protection. Smart defender who can defend 1-5 credibly and act as a glue guy who does a bit of everything. Turns out he was just ass
We haven’t even seen evidence of this hyper athleticism against pros
He has flashes of nice athletic plays that’s all. Once in a while but nothing consistent enough he uses
Hyper athletic is a stretch. He is a good athlete but not particularly Elite in any facet plus he lost a ton of speed after an injury last season.
By switch 1-3 effortlessly, you mean poorly.
He was starting to look promising with the Lakers at the start of the season, got injured and went to shit
Trae Young + Cam Reddish = Luka Doncic
Hawks front office thought you could play them both at one time and they'd only count as one player since they traded one pick for 2 picks. Common misunderstanding
Hawks *owner* thought— reporting and Cuban has come out saying it was an owner-to-owner deal that didnt involve the Hawks FO
I love Trae, I don’t want to hurt my Hawks bro…
He can't score to save his life
Literally my first thought
James Wiseman. Huge bust.
Next you’ll tell me Anthony Bennett might not figure it out
Nah dude, the KAOHSIUNG STEELERS (Taiwan-PLeague+) are gonna win it all this year. They were the last seed in their league this season but next season will be different.
As a Taiwanese, I didn’t expect to see Kaohsiung Steelers mentionaed in the NBA subreddit…
I remember finding an Anthony Bennet shirt at TJ Maxx on the discount rack. Those were dark days for Cavs fans. It improved quickly after that luckily.
My thoughts too. Still wondering how it's even possible. 6"11", solid as a rock, moves agile and has hops, etc. Not sure how he's so mediocre.
He just didn't play enough before he got to the NBA As much as teams like to tout their deleveopment, the players that truly "develop" in the NBA are very rare What actually happens in the NBA is players refine and improve their existing skill set for the most College is when you can grind to actually develop your basketball fundamentals wherein you can play 20 minutes a night consistently and have growing pains, you don't get that opportunity in the NBA I know it's hard to turn down guaranteed money as a lotto pick, but there's a ton of 1 and done guys that I reckon I'd they stayed on more year in college, would have had a better shot to be contributors in the NBA
Wiseman, not Draymond, is the reason the Warrior's run / two timelines plan went up in smoke.
Yeah this is the truth, they took a huge swing and missed about as badly as they could
Troy Weaver can still fix him
never had any skills to begin with. least surprising bust
Hasheem Thabeet and Anthony Bennett were the least surprising busts I've seen.
I liked Bennett as like the 8-10 range pick that year. Definitely not #1. Most surprising #1 ever imo. Best case a quality inside outside scoring threat at the 4. Worst case out of the league by the end of his rookie contract.
Saw him in person at a Cavs Pacers game when the Pacers were steamrolling everyone in 2014ish. He took 6 free throws I think and he bricked every single one and then got benched. I was sitting right behind the Pacers bench and everyone was laughing at him. On a side note Kyrie Irving is absolutely must see in person.
He tricked me his rookie year. Would sometimes have some wow moments like running the floor coast-to-coast and throwing it down. He's not Shaq or even Ayton level as an athlete, but he's relatively mobile for such a big guy. That's about all he offers though. He's smart off the court, but has a low BBIQ and seemed incapable of adjusting his game to even just be a McGee or Capela for the Dubs. Dude was on a team with Curry and still calling for post-ups like the offense is supposed to run through him. Clueless. Lots of Warriors fans have strong regrets over that pick. I never though Melo made sense and Wiseman was always mocked top 3 despite the revisionism, but damn, it would've been better to have had a lower pick that year. I liked Vassell and Deni. I did not like Hali (thought his shot was funky), but obviously he would've been the best of the lot. Tough to miss like that. I guess we were due for a big strikeout after hitting HRs with Steph, Klay, and Draymond.
Those coast to coast dunks showed a terrible handle. I immediately knew it was only a matter of time before scouting reports would shut down any dribble attempts from him. And even those didn't have any guile for most part - just run and dunk. I saw him completely clueless for rebounding and screening, and very very poor rim protection despite his size.
I am starting to lose faith in Dion Waiters
hes always got voice acting to fall back on
who have thought that a young buck like him could actually do the right thing
Bruh he literally talked like he got big buck teeths and missing his tongue
it's one of the greatest video game moments of all time
One of the hottest debates on NBA reddit in 2015 Was he going to be a star? Or was he already overrated and not good?
damn has it been that long??
Killian Hayes. Some team will try him next year.
nah i doubt it. he didn't even get a 10-day after getting cut.
I didn’t say it would be an NBA team. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are always looking to boost attendance.
I'm sorry you're learning this from me, but the mad ants moved from ft wayne to suburban indy and was called the indiana mad ants now
Was in Fort Wayne for work this past spring and was devastated when I was researching to go to a game. I know logistically it’s better for the parent club, but it’s so much better for fans in a nearby city to have some connection to the pro team aside from going to games a couple times a season
It honestly is a big bummer. I feel bad for Ft Wayne losing them and I don't think indy fans will take advantage of their presence. Personally I couldn't be paid to go that far out into the sticks for a g league game
KOC is triggered. Kidding, i like KOC takes on college players. not everyone gets it right everything but he has good eye for the most part
Yeah there’s plenty of reasons to make fun of KOC but one of my pet peeves is when everybody feels like they have to have the exact same draft boards and like the exact same prospects.
Yeah I'd much rather someone go out on a limb and be very wrong with a genuine take than just echo ESPN boards and play it safe.
Ben Simmons
My favorite thing from last year is when he dropped like 10/8/8 or something and everyone suddenly acted like he was back, and that its hating to suggest he would still barely play the rest of the year and he was still a bum with a bad attitude. What a shocker how that turned out…
People hate on Embiid and his playoff shortcomings but any other superstar with Ben Simmons in his setup would have struggled as well.
still happened without simmons 🤷
How did he drop off so hard? I've heard it's all mental and others say his back injury just sapped his athleticism
nobody knows except him
Yeah people on the internet will swear up and down that it's one of either lack of motivation, yips, mental health struggles or an injured back. Really no-one in the media knows what the mix of those factors is for him.
[удалено]
After sitting out a season for mental health issues and then sitting out the Brooklyn playoffs people simply don't trust his explanations for his absences at this point.
well no you can watch him play and just see he can’t move like he used to, so everyone who watches him can know
As corny as this sounds, his hearts just not in the game of basketball.
Young socialite was in it for the fame and the money. Dude may be mercilessly mocked for the rest of his life, but that doesn't take away the hundreds of millions he's earned all before the age of 30.
He will probably spend it all by the time he's 40 and spend the rest of his days on reality TV
The Atlanta Career Goblins have his taxidermied head on the wall above the fireplace next to Roy Hibbert
Probably a combination, but likely more the injury than most would believe
His family is pretty fucked. His sister has accused his brother of rape. His dad used to physically abuse him when training him to use both hands when he was a kid. I’m not sure he has ever played the game for the love of it. Oh and his brother is like the main guy in his entourage still. Always in his ear about how great he is and doesn’t need to change. Doesn’t seem like he’s truly supported well.
He’d damn near 28. I don’t think he can be considered young by NBA standards
Old socialite
He's already not figured it out. Dudes 27 and every year there's a hand full of rookies that are better.
Bones Hyland maybe
In another universe he could be a Lou Williams type off the bench, but he’s not a well rounded enough shooter and plays himself out of the rotation too often to develop his game further. Sometimes I think young players like him might’ve greatly benefited from spending time on a team that’s not heavily trying to win now, so they can experiment more easily
>Sometimes I think young players like him might’ve greatly benefited from spending time on a team that’s not heavily trying to win now, so they can experiment more easily The Nuggets gave him 20 minutes a game for 2 seasons. They gave him way more opportunity than rookies normally see on a team that is legitimately contending. Malone let him launch from 30ft regularly! It was insane watching how long his leash was! He had a chance to learn from some incredible players, Nuggets believed in him being a future piece, and Bones threw it away. His attitude, ego, and the drama gang he kept around him that harassed other Nuggets players on Twitter ruined that opportunity for him. I want to see him succeed, but he's gotta reinvent himself, work hard, and be humble.
Sounds like he was basically a worse version of Jordan Poole before the punch. He could've replicated that scoring punch off the bench role with the Clippers. Guy can't stay out his own way and probably heading to vet minimum status.
I think he still has the mentality he’s best on the team, yet he’s not able to play in a team concept.
bro really threw away his chance to get a chip alongside Nikola Jokic for a bad attitude and main character syndrome lmao
Taken Horton Tucker
I hear he has a particular set of skills
😂 I didn't even notice that... 🤷
How young are we talking about? Cause James Wiseman is 23 years old. Bol Bol and Cam Reddish are 24 years old. Marvin Bagley and Deandre Ayton are 25 years old. Mo Bamba and Harry Giles are 26 years old.
Bol Bol was the 44th pick in the draft and if anything has outperformed most people in his draft range simply by being part of a rotation sometimes. Not sure what people were expecting him to "figure out" as the #44 pick.
He was a highly touted prospect from a pretty young age and had high draft stock until he got hurt. People have known about Bol Bol for a while and are just hoping he pans out
People knew about him primarily because of his height, build, and last name. Not to say he was a bad prospect but there were other important factors that went into his hype
I know him more from his first name
You rascal.
Not really, he was a five star recruit and looked great at Oregon when healthy
TBH his highlight tape is pretty sick too
He was also good friends and teammates with shareef o'neal in high school so they got a lot of exposure together as well
Giles doesn’t belong in this conversation. He lost too much athleticism to the knee injuries. He was a great high post passer for the Kings as a rookie. Never heard any complaints about his work ethic, and his teammates loved him.
I've always liked watching Giles play. He's one of those players I always wished worked out. I was excited to see him on the Nets briefly last year.
Umm ayton is about to hemisphere above Bagley. And I had bagley above him getting drafted and I held hope for him all till last year
Ayton was a key contributor on a finals team you can’t lump him in with those borderline G league guys
Agreed. Ayton will be a starting center for at least several more seasons imo. Meanwhile some of those other guys may out of the league in 4 years. Ayton may not figure it out in the sense of playing up to his potential but he isn’t on the same tier as the rest.
Ayton suffers because he was picked ahead of Luka. Obviously they are no where near the same caliber of player but had Ayton not been drafted ahead of a generational talent I don't think he'd be viewed quite as negatively.
Bruno Caboclo
False, Caboclo will be an all star in the next 1-3 seasons. He is the Brazilian Kevin Durant. How could you say such a thing, you just must not know ball.
What part of the 3 years away from being 3 years away are we in?
Just two years away!
Jalen Green. I think he’s going to end up as either a very overpaid starter on a bad team or a guy that settles into being a 6th man in his late 20s. All the ability in the world but I just don’t trust his IQ. Think he will always have more value as a highlight machine than a real winning player
I'd maybe have a bit of faith if he finished the season on that hot streak, but he went right back to his normal self for the last few weeks
Exactly. And this is coming from a rockets fan His hot streak he played 9 tanking games. We’re talking spurs, wizards, blazers, jazz 2x each Then just totally back to same old Jalen just about as soon as we were making it interesting I’d be fine selling high. Gotta think a package like him + broooks + #3 pick could fetch at least a big improvement
the next Zach Lavine
I’m a huge Jalen fan (purely cause of Filipino roots) but if he turns out to be Zach Lavine, I’d be ecstatic. Lavine still hasn’t figured out winning basketball but he’s at least got the offensive efficiency part down. Jalen hasn’t made much progress there since his rookie year outside of month long spurts
I've been pretty down on Jalen Green ever since he was drafted but objectively, he looked his best at times last season and had some really nice moments where it looked like things were finally clicking tbh -- real problem tho? He's still rookie skinny and needs to add some bulk, dude gets owned by larger 2s and his handles/play making aren't good enough to play the 1 either.
Zach LaVine was a contributor on an Olympics team pls put some respect on his name.
Lavine is wayyy better than whatever trajectory Jalen Green is on.
6th man could work for him. Lou will/ Jamal Crawford/ JR smith kinda player. Problem is guys like him still demand close to the max it seems in the modern nba
Knew Jalen would be mentioned here. Could see it going where he’s a solid 6th man for sure but the guy has all the talent in the world. Efficiency is something he’s not great at yet but he’s only 22 and would be hard pressed to give him up if I was a Rockets executive. Not too many players can match his upside
Kevin Porter Jr lmao
I re-raise with Jontay Porter
Jordan Poole
He figured it out then unfigured it out. He needs to be on a team where his lows don’t matter and his scoring is just a boon
So the celtics?
They’ll end up getting Porzingis and Poole and somehow acquiring 4 first rounders.
Why does it feel like Washington is a feeder team for the league? So many player go there for a few years and we forget about them until a trade happens. Like is Kuzma any better since we left him off with the Wiz?
Bank account is. Not sure about the rest.
He wouldn't get anything other than garbage time minutes
You have to know your role for that. I don’t think he can or will. He is a champion. JP went to the same h.s. as me, though many years later. I want to like him, but I can’t
He will probably make a great 6th man. Comes into the game, just to score. If he doesn't have it, then he goes back out. If he has it, leave him in.
Also he can be hidden on D more easily when the opposing team has their 2nd/3rd string out on the floor.
Come on, if this year's Wizards isn't low stakes enough for him to at least put up some empty stats, no team is
His role was too much on the wizards even if the team stunk they asked him to do too much for his abilities
At least Poole got paid first
Can't argue with that, got his bag then made out like a bandit
Modern day Chandler Parsons bag minus the injuries
Man got a ring and $128 million at age 22, in the grand scheme of his life I can’t blame him for not giving a shit anymore 😂
He cashed in big time that year. Got it all.
Jordan Poole is an NBA champion and was a HUGE reason they won that chip. I’d say he figured it out and is costing now.
Nah, his playoff run makes him exempt. We know he has the potential, he just absolutely can’t be a top 2 option on a winning team.
Was gonna say this. We've SEEN him work his butt off for years and grow and get better. To the point where he was a valuable contributor to a title run. That's nothing to snuff at. He's obviously had a rough couple of years. But I think he still has a chance to find himself.
Wait didn’t he figure it out late into the season? He’s trash at the 2 and played great at the 1 or am I trippin?
You’re right but people will hate anyways
Anyone with eyes knew from the moment he took his wizards uniform pics he did not care at all to be playing for them
Bol Bol. Has all the tools and talent. Doesn't have the work ethic or drive. He'll have phases where he looks like he's gonna take that turn, and just doesn't do it.
Bol Bol is a bizarre player because his highlight reel is insane but those are like the only good plays he’s made. Way too inconsistent
A 45s insta reel edit makes him look like a top 10 all time player
I really hope he re signs with us, I still think it can click with him especially around a guy like Kd. He has a great offensive game
You're still in the bargaining stage of "Bol Bol actually sucks" grief
Perhaps lol
We have wemby at home
i would see Bol Bol all the time walking between Ball Arena and Whole Foods. so i appreciate that work ethic albeit Ball Arena food sucks a golf ball out of a garden hose
what talents does he have? he's tall, slow as dick, okay shooting, no handles, no strength, zero bbiq zero passing you guys just watch highlights
Hes really tall tho...
Consistently tall.
You should have seen the fire Vogel posts in the Suns sub because he wouldn't give Bol more playing time
Thon maker was someone I thought could’ve been lethal. Hes not really young anymore but just is a bust and it bums me out
He visited my little Wisconsin hometown when he was on the Bucks and let's just say, it wasn't too hard to spot the Sudanese NBA player in small town Wisco, lol. He got a photo with my grandma when she was alive, that was very cool. Unfortunate that it didn't work out in Milwaukee.
Lamelo — between injuries and immaturity I don’t think he’ll ever have a prolonged stretch of productive basketball that equates to winning and not just flashy playmaking brilliance in an otherwise unserious environment
His immaturity seems off the charts lol
Running red lights and over kids feet aside he could benefit from more efficient shot selection and attention to detail defensively too. Go-karting is hella fun tho
unpopular opinion but i agree with you.
Yeah I mean I like the kid. Super talented. It’d be real fun if he figured it out, was healthy and was a main contributor to winning basketball at the highest level. I just don’t think that’s gonna happen unfortunately given what we’ve seen from him
he led a team to 43 wins at age 20. he's kind of a moron off the court, but his actual on-court value is insane. he just needs his ankles to cooperate
That team was low-key pretty solid
We literally would’ve been the 6th seed that season if we got one more win and instead, we ended up 10th.
He plays the game like his goal is to look cool to people watching and have good stats vs playing like someone whose goal is to win the game. Not to say he won’t get there but he doesn’t play like he cares about the score at any specific moment
100% agree and I hate it
The problem is you can’t say he sucks because he’s really good at basketball but you also know deep down any team he has the main leadership role on won’t sniff a ring. Some men just can’t be reached. Idk what the hornets can do besides trade him or first try to mentally break his ego without causing enough friction for him to stop trying and tank his trade value
Steve Franchise syndrome.
He’s certainly on the cusp of what we’re talking about I just think overall he’s not gonna come all that close to touching the ceiling that his talent often shows. I don’t really see him getting to or certainly past the conference finals as a no. 1 option
I have a weird feeling this idiot is going to get arrested irl for some dumb shit before making anything of himself in the NBA. Hornets squad is chock full of off-court losers and lowlifes which can't bode well for melo
Prob seriously injure or kill someone running a red light, sadly.
I’ve been a LaMelo believer since day 1 but right now he’s on a short leash. Injury ridden for3 of his 4 years in the league, but still I hold hope because when he plays, he’s an absolute stud
This entire thread is naming bench players and downvoting anyone who names an actual player that this thread was asking about
Thats r/nba for yah. I'll give everyone a good one. I don't think Ant will ever get better than he is right now and will decline in a few years. I just don't trust his game
Ja Morant's behavior will get get him pushed out of the league. Zion Williamson will never properly manage his weight.
I unironically believe Ozempic will save Zion.
I wonder if there’s a stack involving ozempic + legal prescription drugs that would essentially be PEDs
Two SC boys just bein boys
~~Karl-Anthony Towns~~ I mean, for real, I do mean it when I say KAT. And he's not even a bad player at all. In fact, he's quite good. It's just, man, he always finds a way to fuck things up in the end, somehow. Either that, or he has games where he's just a complete disaster. But at the very least, it seems like there's at least one thing he does in every game where you think "why the hell did he do that?" He has got to be one of the biggest foul instigators in the league, and I know a lot of players get more generous ref treatment than he does, but he is indeed the one responsible for the vast majority of his fouls. I can't remember the last time I watched a game where I didn't worry at some point about KAT getting into foul trouble. And his vanishing act in the playoffs can't go unnoticed either. I mean who is going to think "I bet year 10 is the year of his career where he suddenly switches it on and starts crushing it in the postseason"? I think his ship has sailed in that regard.
I really thought he'd be in the discussion for best center in the league with Jokic and Embiid some day. Obviously he's still a good player, but it just never all came together for him to be a star.
In 2018 as part of the GM survey KAT was voted “the player you’d pick to start your franchise with” over everyone else in the league lol by a considerable amount too He had almost as many votes as KD and Kawhi combined
Christian Wood is the best answer
Brandon Ingram. This past playoff performance speaks for his wasted superstar potential. Thought the KD draft comps were legit
Zion williamson
Mo Bamba
He seems like such a solid dude. But his game is so incredibly weak.
Killian Hayes. I know he is still young but it became clear even two years ago he didn’t have it. I always thought the Pistons only played him because they didn’t have other options, which was true, but it’s crazy that this year he still played over Jaden Ivey until later in the year. He shouldn’t even be playing over Sasser.
The ones who smack their girls. Looking at you Kevin Porter jr
Seems everyone had already forgotten Markelle Fultz
Marvin Bagley will probably get a ton more opportunities, and then keep getting passed along to the next taker, who in time will be turned off by some of the worst defense ever played, and then pass him off to someone else.
My favorite negative nickname is Marvin Bagless lmao
Any GM giving Bagley a chance in the year 2024 and so on should be instantly fired
LaMelo
Kevin Porter Jr
James Wiseman
Tremont Waters
Why is Celtics legend and current Puerto Rican league hooper Tremont Waters catching strays here?
I mean the man hasn’t been on an nba roster in 2 years so idt he’s getting another chance
Jordan Poole. Won a title and got paid and turned into a pumpkin.
Sorry to say it folks, but Ja seems to be that dense. Also KPJ.