Yeah he does. Even more athletic now. He's been hitting the BoingVert sessions it looks like with more elevation. Some of that handling in the open court looked tight and he looked like a load coming at you high speed. Can't wait to see Julius play this year. :Headbang:
LOL. f****** instigator How about some Julius at the 5 though if he's going to be a rim protecting beast as proven in this Nike clip? It can happen right? He's jumping. He has a kid. He's motivated. It's a contract type season. He's not FAT any more.
Julius has always had ability, but not the conditioning to do it a whole game? I guess I just don't understand that. but I also don't think he'll ever be an effective 5 unless it's serious short bursts as a death lineup and we have major switching and help going on.
The thing for me with Ju is his motor. One minute he can look like the most dominant player on the floor. Finishing through contact, playing engaged defense, chasing down blocks. The next, he's jogging down the court, boxing out can get lazy, and has his hands down on defense. If he can play with that constant edge on his shoulder, he could be really great.
If you are only great in a contract year, you aren't really great. I hope he proves me wrong, but can you think of anyone else that suddenly turned it on in a contract year and never let up?
What's not to understand. That looks like incredibly painful and sustained work to get in that kind of shape. Which apparently is where he needs to be to have that kind of elevation and energy out there. Magic showed these guys the way they had to go when he laid down the FAT rules and Julius took it seriously. Who'd abuse themselves like that on their own?
The ones who want to be great don't need someone else to motivate them. Just sayin' Nobody forced the Kobes of the world or the Jordans to get in shape. You do it on your own because you want to own the competition for the whole game, for the whole season, and it's who you are at your core. If you aren't that guy, you might not be a Laker long D'Angelo.
Do you believe Julius is doing this only to get paid or do you believe he has higher character than that?
I think he isn't self motivated to be an all time great. I have no idea about the money honestly, but it's an irritating coincidence. I'm sure it has more to do with Magic's challenge and leadership telling him what's up, but really? Do you need to tell someone to get in the best shape possible to be great at their craft? I guess those of us who had to work so hard and were not recipients of the genetic lottery have a harder time understanding getting by on talent alone at this level. No one had to tell me to outwork the competition so I could smoke them on game day.
That's kind of the sense I get from him as well. Like he wants to be great, but I'm not seeing the Kobe obsessive gene in him, so I don't think he understood how hard it would really be. He is still just starting his 3rd year technically, an with that injury the first year, in not sure he's understood up to this point the proper work that needs to be put in for conditioning. Notice I hope to a new realization rather than lack of desire.
I think if you can't keep up the effort for 30+ minutes and your coach sends you to the bench, then that should be your cue. That happened year one. I just realized you're an enabler. We can't have enablers around our young players giving them excuses. They need to learn to man up, play with grit, and fight like men.
Because the Lakers have never had an inconsistently motivated big man who struggled to stay in shape, and needed someone above him in the organization to light a fire under his too fat rear end.
it's one thing if a 28 year old in a contract year suddenly turns it on. While Julius has his shortcomings, he showed a lot of growth last year and appears prepared to show even more this year. As a 22 year old that has proven to work on his game, I see very few, if any, similarities to "contract year" players to be honest.
After 10 years in the league and being an all time great already isn't quite the same thing though is it?
