yep. the rub is that i really think improvement as a team defender comes only from playing in schemes in game action. yeah, there's film study and drills in practice, but you have to see the speed and encounter unanticipated sets and highly motivated opponents, which only happens in real games. thus, you have to be able to play through some mistakes. with 4 or 5 veterans that don't make many mistakes on that end waiting to play, how much leeway does THT get from the coaching staff?
only saw highlights, but watching him catch a couple feet back on the swing from dead center, not hesitate, and drill the three was...pretty sweet. that shot's going to be there for him, and if he can make it, he (and his team) becomes nearly unguardable.
Boxscore was bad and reading the game chat: kind of meh. Hope it was just him pressing with the chance as a starter in pre-season
I just don't like plays that he plays out of control. He forces things at times with bad body control and leads to a turnover. I feel like he tries to do so much. He really needs an outside game or move to set him up an easier shot to make the game easier for him. You see guys like Monk and Nunn come and it they make it look easier for them to score, because of their play making, pick and roll ability and step back jumper they have.
Completely agree. He has tons of skills, but plays too much hero ball. He needs to learn to make a pass when driving to the hoop, hope he learns it with Lebron, Westbrook and Rondo
Overreaction Monday: THT ain't ready. Everyone looked sloppy except Monk yesterday. It's our first pre-season game. But THT showed me zero signs that he's made any progress from last season in how he sees the floor and how he reacts to what's in front of him Maybe that changes as we progress and as he finds himself in better lineups, but based on the expectations that both Vogel and Rob have for him, it wasn't a good start.
Yea he did quite a bit of that yesterday and I thought he looked awful. That being said we've all seen him play a much better brand of basketball then what he exhibited yesterday. Let's put a few things into perspective: A) Contract dollars equal more pressure to perform especially when they chose you over AC a fan favorite (not mine personally) B) Trying to ascert himself as a starter or at least respectable consistent minutes with this amount of talent on the roster equals pressure C) youngster, I mean this is still just a kid by NBA standards. He just tried to do what all youngsters do, win the game every time he had the ball in his hands to prove he's deserving of minutes, starting and his contract. You know the old bull and his son joke? You know, "hey dad let's run down the hill and smash one of these cows" and the daddy bull replies, "no son let's walk down and smash them all"... THT is gonna learn a lot this year and be just fine, these old bulls will show him the way
again, didn't see the game, but i think he's going to be fine. could take a while to find the right spots for him in the rotation, though, so hopefully his newfound cash will help him stay patient. guys like bazemore, ariza, melo, and ellington are just going to glide into spots where they can be most effective, imo. the youngsters don't know enough about their own games yet to do that, imo.
Yesterday I think I heard he was the youngest of the roster, counting the rookies. It's crazy to think that He's definitely blessed by being in a roster like this, hope he carries a notebook everyday
He needs to slow down and relax, let the game come to him. There's a lot of competition for minutes on this roster but forcing the game will not help his case. He has the natural talent to rise to the top. Add in to that the structure around him with the vets and he has everything he needs to learn the nuances of the game to be successful. He has a huge advantage most players his age don't. I also believe Bron/Rondo are good teachers especially in situational basketball.
THT still has those moments where he picks up the ball, doesn't see anything or anyone around him, it's like: dribble, dribble, crossover, another crossover, spin, get to the basket and throw it up. He needs to figure it out. The talent is there, he has good basketball body, but he doesn't seem like he's thinking much out there. And maybe his natural instincts/BBIQ just aren't there... yet?
box score says he had one turnover, and a write-up i read said he got fouled a couple times without calls. also, it was a preseason game with rotations we'll never play.
I feel like THT’s problems were for the most part not going to be improved over the off season and it shouldn’t have been expected. A lot of young players are looking to improve strength, and shooting in the off-season, but most of THT’s problems have to be worked out in organized on the court, high level competition. The reads, are going to look very different in pickup games and the defense he’ll see in the NBA is at another level. He’ll dominate any pickup game he’s in with the skills he already possesses. The decision making, the vision, etc… he’s simply not going to get those reps at any time other than the preseason and regular season of real NBA games. There’s no quick fix for his problems offensively. He has to be given minutes to work it out on the court and he’s going to suck at it for a while. But he’s so young I think he’ll improve pretty drastically in the next two seasons.
I couldn’t find the super like gif, so this will have to do. THT will continue to develop but it won’t be on the same timeline that Laker fans will want.
Ya got to go to “Iron Mountain”. It’s where all sirron’s creations are stored for antiquity. Or think of it another way …. remember that last scene with all those wooden crates in the giant warehouse in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. www.lakergifs.com. Ala carte or Laker Files > Emoticons. Plus I will get a buck for every one accessed through this link.