The NBA rookies Thread

[flyerhawk]

I read an article with this video in it last week and it suggested he won't be coming back until he can shoot.

Markelle Fultz's jumper is 'not where it used to be,' and he might be unplayable until it is

I would say that he won't come back until he's more or less back to his shooting form. He may not be able to shoot still but that might not be the end of the world.

IF the problem is mental right now, then what he needs is to stop thinking about it. Reading all the press saying that he's a bust and that he's mentally weak and blah blah blah is just going to make it fester.

As I said upthread, I wouldn't be surprised to see him play #2 PG and perhaps play a game similar to Ben until he gets into a flow with his shooting.

 

[Mecca]

I would say that he won't come back until he's more or less back to his shooting form. He may not be able to shoot still but that might not be the end of the world.

IF the problem is mental right now, then what he needs is to stop thinking about it. Reading all the press saying that he's a bust and that he's mentally weak and blah blah blah is just going to make it fester.

As I said upthread, I wouldn't be surprised to see him play #2 PG and perhaps play a game similar to Ben until he gets into a flow with his shooting.

Agree.

What do you think Ben's Allstar chances are?

I think it's 70/30 against unless both Wizard guards don't get in or he is a injury replacement.

 

[Sparhawk]

What do you think Ben's Allstar chances are?

I think it's 70/30 against unless both Wizard guards don't get in or he is a injury replacement.

It's 0%.

With Embiid as a starter, the NBA would never allow a second 76er to get in the All-Star game (especially a rook), thus validating the Process.

 

[Mecca]

It's 0%.

With Embiid as a starter, the NBA would never allow a second 76er to get in the All-Star game (especially a rook), thus validating the Process.

Great point.

He has good numbers.

But, too many guys with bigger names and a teammate voted in will work against him.

I think Porzingis, Horford get the frontcourt spots, Wall, Beal, Olidipo get the guard spots.

I also don't know that Chris Paul gets in out West.

 

[flyerhawk]

Agree.

What do you think Ben's Allstar chances are?

I think it's 70/30 against unless both Wizard guards don't get in or he is a injury replacement.

It's hard to say. The coaches vote for the reserves. So I'm not sure I buy into NBA rigging arguments.

If we assume 4 front court and 3 back court players in each conference then I would probably say that the list of contenders for the Eastern backcourt are

Beal
Lowry
Wall
Simmons
Oladipo

You have to figure that Oladipo gets one of the spots. I would probably give a spot to Beal. I have a tough time giving a spot to Wall given that he's missed 11 games. But maybe.

Simmons offensive production is still limited because he doesn't shoot outside the paint. But his defensive production has been really good. He's No. 8 in the NBA for defensive win shares. Not sure how much NBA coaches care about those kinds of stats but just watching his play will tell you how good he is defensively.

So if they are measuring mostly offensive production I would imagine it would be Wall or Lowry. If it is overall performance then I would say that Simmons has a great shot.

Either way, the fact that he is in the conversation is great.

 

[tlance]

He's getting closer...


Still needs more work but it's getting better. I still expect to him on the court in the next few weeks but I doubt he'll be much of an outside shooting threat.

I only watched the first 7 shots.

They included: 1/4 from the FT line and an air balled 15 foot pull-up. The fact that the headline is regarding his improved shot is comical.

Yes, the form looks a little more fluid, but damn.

 

[flyerhawk]

I only watched the first 7 shots.

They included: 1/4 from the FT line and an air balled 15 foot pull-up. The fact that the headline is regarding his improved shot is comical.

Yes, the form looks a little more fluid, but damn.

I honestly don't care about the end result in something like that. It's far too small a sample size and we don't know if he is doing specific drills to work on form or trying to just make baskets.

His FT shots still show a bit of a pull up at the end which is why he's shorting the shots.

 

[flyerhawk]

Agree.

What do you think Ben's Allstar chances are?

I think it's 70/30 against unless both Wizard guards don't get in or he is a injury replacement.

Zach Lowe does a good job regarding Simmons...

I have no idea what to do with Simmons. He is the best defender among the group fighting for the last three spots, and maybe by a lot. He's also a very peculiar player figuring out the NBA, and it's obvious the rest of the Sixers are trying to figure him out, too.

Philly has scored just 99.6 points per 100 possessions when Simmons plays without Embiid -- below even Sacramento's league-worst offense. It's fair to ding him for that, considering how Brett Brown shuffles lineups so there are almost always two and even three starters on the floor. Simmons himself is shooting 59 percent when he plays with Embiid, and just 46 percent going solo -- a disastrous mark considering he never shoots from beyond the foul line.

But a certain No. 1 pick who may or may not exist was supposed to share ball-handling duties and space the floor for Simmons during some of those non-Embiid minutes. Whoops.

In the end, it just felt a year early. The numbers aren't that overwhelming.

In the end this is probably right. Granted the Sixers are still a pretty thin team, especially offensively. When Embiid is off the floor their offensive firepower is almost exclusively shooting from the perimeter. Without another interior threat that makes it tough for Simmons to get to the hoop until he develops an outside shot.

 

[Sparhawk]

19-17-14
Most rooks need a week to get those numbers.

 

[flyerhawk]

19-17-14
Most rooks need a week to get those numbers.

I wasn't able to watch the game but the highlights showed Simmons being really forceful. He had something like 10 rebounds in the 1st quarter.

 

[Sparhawk]

I wasn't able to watch the game but the highlights showed Simmons being really forceful. He had something like 10 rebounds in the 1st quarter.

Also worth noting that Embiid only had 5 rebounds in the game.
A lot of the early Chicago misses were from distance.

Either way, Simmons was much more aggressive and actually missed a few easy baskets and one dunk.
Almost had a quadruple double.
Unfortunately, it would have been in turnovers....

 

[Mecca]

I wasn't able to watch the game but the highlights showed Simmons being really forceful. He had something like 10 rebounds in the 1st quarter.

Triple double in the 3rd quarter, I believe.

 

[Mecca]

19-17-14
Most rooks need a week to get those numbers.

A picture is worth a thousand words....

 

[bksballer89]

 

[Mecca]

I have not heard ANYTHING like Tha

.

Believe it now?

This kid cost you 2 first rounders.

Wtf is going on here?

 

[trojanfan12]

I have not heard ANYTHING like that. Here is what Brown said a couple of days ago..




Fultz's overall game is fine. His shot is broken right now. He said this about his shooting at the stripe..








Ainge didn't take Tatum over Fultz because he thought one was significantly better than the other. He did it because Tatum was a better fit for what they wanted to do. Same with the Sixers.

I agree that it is concerning that Fultz is wilting here but, at the same time, he's 19 struggled out of the gate. I'm hardly going to write him off because of that.

Maybe they just need to play him and let him figure it out?

Lonzo was shooting horribly for much of the first part of the season. But the Lakers kept running him out there and telling him "don't worry about your shot, just play and do the other things we brought you here for."

It seems to have worked too. His shooting, while still not great, had improved a good bit before he sprained his MCL.

 

[shopson67]

Maybe they just need to play him and let him figure it out?

Lonzo was shooting horribly for much of the first part of the season. But the Lakers kept running him out there and telling him "don't worry about your shot, just play and do the other things we brought you here for."

It seems to have worked too. His shooting, while still not great, had improved a good bit before he sprained his MCL.

That's different though. Lonzo didn't suddenly change his shooting form (whether due to injury or whatever); he stuck with what worked in college and gained back confidence in it.

 

[Mecca]

Maybe they just need to play him and let him figure it out?

Lonzo was shooting horribly for much of the first part of the season. But the Lakers kept running him out there and telling him "don't worry about your shot, just play and do the other things we brought you here for."

It seems to have worked too. His shooting, while still not great, had improved a good bit before he sprained his MCL.

Did you see what Coangelo said?

When asked what his shooting range was Coangelo basically said at the rim, in the paint.

 

[trojanfan12]

That's different though. Lonzo didn't suddenly change his shooting form (whether due to injury or whatever); he stuck with what worked in college and gained back confidence in it.

True. But I'm just not sure that keeping him off the floor at this point is going to do much for him. At some point you have to throw him in the pool and see if he can swim.

If he's the player they think he is, he'll find other ways to impact the game until his shot comes around.

 

[Mecca]

That's different though. Lonzo didn't suddenly change his shooting form (whether due to injury or whatever); he stuck with what worked in college and gained back confidence in it.

It's mental with Fultz, and that's worse...imo

This is Nick Anderson free throw phobia territory.


There is no structural impairment to the shoulder and as of early December, Fultz no longer had soreness in the shoulder.