[MagikKnickParticipant]

http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/doug-gottlieb/22333162/nba-draft-buyer-beware-on-shabazz-muhammad

Do You Agree?

[GottaBeTheShoesParticipant]

I think Bazz will get a reality check his rookie season and then start to progress much better afterward.

[ConezdParticipant]

What would you call his entire college experience? He was considered to be a top 2-3 pick in this draft a year ago, he’s been exposed as being a year older than people thought. He’s dropped significantly in just about every bodies mock drafts and is being critiqued insanely hard by most people. His dads been arrested now, this years been a reality check. I still think he is a big, strong wing player who will figure out how to put the ball in the bucket. He plays hard and has shown he’s been working harder to get in better shape and I think he’s been saying the right things throughout this while draft process. He’ll have regular rookie bumps but the only “check” he’ll be getting this year is from David stern.

[ConezdParticipant]

What would you call his entire college experience? He was considered to be a top 2-3 pick in this draft a year ago, he’s been exposed as being a year older than people thought. He’s dropped significantly in just about every bodies mock drafts and is being critiqued insanely hard by most people. His dads been arrested now, this years been a reality check. I still think he is a big, strong wing player who will figure out how to put the ball in the bucket. He plays hard and has shown he’s been working harder to get in better shape and I think he’s been saying the right things throughout this while draft process. He’ll have regular rookie bumps but the only “check” he’ll be getting this year is from David stern.

[GottaBeTheShoesParticipant]

I think Bazz will get a reality check his rookie season and then start to progress much better afterward.

[SnowtaParticipant]

I agree with a lot of what Gottlieb says in this article. Think about it, is there any NBA team out there that you can really see Shabazz fitting in to? I’m not talking about from a basketball/skill type of fit, but from a personality/team chem type of fit. GottaBeTheShoes might be right with the reality check rookie year and then he starts to do better. I just can’t see him coming in as a rookie and making a team better. It seems like he literally has zero understanding of how to play team basketball. I can already picture it, he comes in averages 12/4/1 on 15 shots a game, gets torched on D (regardless of whether he’s playing the 2 or 3) and still thinks he’s a star. Just does not seem like the type of player you want on an NBA team.

[frogmanParticipant]

There’s no way that happens because if he’s doing that he won’t be on the floor

[frogmanParticipant]

There’s no way that happens because if he’s doing that he won’t be on the floor

[SnowtaParticipant]

I agree with a lot of what Gottlieb says in this article. Think about it, is there any NBA team out there that you can really see Shabazz fitting in to? I’m not talking about from a basketball/skill type of fit, but from a personality/team chem type of fit. GottaBeTheShoes might be right with the reality check rookie year and then he starts to do better. I just can’t see him coming in as a rookie and making a team better. It seems like he literally has zero understanding of how to play team basketball. I can already picture it, he comes in averages 12/4/1 on 15 shots a game, gets torched on D (regardless of whether he’s playing the 2 or 3) and still thinks he’s a star. Just does not seem like the type of player you want on an NBA team.

[the I in winParticipant]

Sounds about right to me, I think if Lance Stephenson was a second rounder because of his ego and mental makeup then Shabazz is a candidate for the second round as well. Sure Lance has been fairly good recently but who likes the idea of drafting the crazy guy outside of Larry Bird?

[the I in winParticipant]

Sounds about right to me, I think if Lance Stephenson was a second rounder because of his ego and mental makeup then Shabazz is a candidate for the second round as well. Sure Lance has been fairly good recently but who likes the idea of drafting the crazy guy outside of Larry Bird?

[NYFLAVA2K9Participant]

He wouldn’t touch Shabazz in the first round and it’s based solely off assessment of skill??? I highly doubt that. I challenge Gottlieb to name 30 prospects in this draft more skilled than Shabazz. Yes, he has character concerns and is not the transcendent talent some hyped him to be. At the end of the day what matters is his skill level is top 10 in comparison to this years prospects and that’s what I believe GM’s will consider when its all said and done. I remember a HS Kid who was drafted AFTER Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Chris Wilcox because he came from a sketchy family background and had character concerns due to transferring High school’s multiple times… His name was Amare Stoudamire.

[NYFLAVA2K9Participant]

He wouldn’t touch Shabazz in the first round and it’s based solely off assessment of skill??? I highly doubt that. I challenge Gottlieb to name 30 prospects in this draft more skilled than Shabazz. Yes, he has character concerns and is not the transcendent talent some hyped him to be. At the end of the day what matters is his skill level is top 10 in comparison to this years prospects and that’s what I believe GM’s will consider when its all said and done. I remember a HS Kid who was drafted AFTER Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Chris Wilcox because he came from a sketchy family background and had character concerns due to transferring High school’s multiple times… His name was Amare Stoudamire.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

Haters come in all shapes and sizes…. And I like Gottlieb but Bazz is first round talent

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

Haters come in all shapes and sizes…. And I like Gottlieb but Bazz is first round talent

[NickWayne87Participant]

and knew right away I wasn’t gonna agree with it. He made SOME valid points that I did agree with that I saw myself as red flags such as his abysmal assist numbers ,but I don’t agree that “the mandatory year in college is instructive and helpful for the guys evauluating players,” in ALL cases…..case in point this one. He said college basketball exposed his selfishness, I for one think it CREATED it. I think he was the type of player that for one would’ve opted to go pro straight from high school if he could’ve (and he couldn’t due to the one year removed rule along with the age rule) and for two since he almost HAD to go to college (the best option to be seen and increase/maintain your draft stock) he was more focused on looking good to scouts and getting his touches rather than being a team player and team success. Not saying he didn’t wanna win, but he wanted to look good doing it. He wanted to put “the I in win” ^^^^ lol. When he’s actually getting paid to play rather than auditioning for it I think he will be different. He also made it seem like he was a full 5 years older than he said he was instead of one year trying to imply he has no “upside” because of it. He’s the same age as Ben Mac who’s also a “freshman”. He also tried to make it seem as if Bazz was behind the whole lying about his age thing when it’s been documented that his sleezy father was the one behind that and that Bazz told his teammates and everyone he was around that he was 20 and wasn’t hiding anything. He says he’s an undersized 3 and I believe it’s no secret that Bazz will be a 2 in the NBA and he’s probably preparing for just such a transition. I think he’s crucifying him on account of the actions of his father and while he has legit red flags saying he should be drafted in the second round in this weak a$$ draft is LUDICROUS. The red flags will keep him out of the top 5 not out of the first round.

[SiggyParticipant]

College ball didn’t create his selfish tendencies. He was like that in HS. He was a single-minded scorer. Did you catch the Hoop Summit he played in? People argue that he HAD to play the way he played in order for Team USA to compete. I didn’t believe that at all. Kid was gunning for himself. He was always gunning for himself in HS. Some scouts interpret that as a “competitive and aggressive scoring mentality.” Others interpret that as selfishness.

I think Gottlieb’s comments on Bazz’ upside have to do with his body type and mentality. Bazz DOES have some old man in his body type (he’s not as spry or fluid as other wings) and Doug doesn’t think he has the mentality to adapt to a lesser role. Shabazz has an alpha male personality, without the alpha male game. How will he adapt as a role player? Because that is what he’s projected to be given his skill set.

What position Bazz plays in the NBA isn’t up to him. It wouldn’t matter if he’s trying to be a 2 if his coach thinks that his game is best suited for the 3. For his sake, I’d hope that he can prove that he can check 2’s because then he’d retain the 2 physical advantages that he has: his strength and length. I don’t even know what advantages he’d have at the 3.

[SiggyParticipant]

College ball didn’t create his selfish tendencies. He was like that in HS. He was a single-minded scorer. Did you catch the Hoop Summit he played in? People argue that he HAD to play the way he played in order for Team USA to compete. I didn’t believe that at all. Kid was gunning for himself. He was always gunning for himself in HS. Some scouts interpret that as a “competitive and aggressive scoring mentality.” Others interpret that as selfishness.

I think Gottlieb’s comments on Bazz’ upside have to do with his body type and mentality. Bazz DOES have some old man in his body type (he’s not as spry or fluid as other wings) and Doug doesn’t think he has the mentality to adapt to a lesser role. Shabazz has an alpha male personality, without the alpha male game. How will he adapt as a role player? Because that is what he’s projected to be given his skill set.

What position Bazz plays in the NBA isn’t up to him. It wouldn’t matter if he’s trying to be a 2 if his coach thinks that his game is best suited for the 3. For his sake, I’d hope that he can prove that he can check 2’s because then he’d retain the 2 physical advantages that he has: his strength and length. I don’t even know what advantages he’d have at the 3.

[NickWayne87Participant]

and knew right away I wasn’t gonna agree with it. He made SOME valid points that I did agree with that I saw myself as red flags such as his abysmal assist numbers ,but I don’t agree that “the mandatory year in college is instructive and helpful for the guys evauluating players,” in ALL cases…..case in point this one. He said college basketball exposed his selfishness, I for one think it CREATED it. I think he was the type of player that for one would’ve opted to go pro straight from high school if he could’ve (and he couldn’t due to the one year removed rule along with the age rule) and for two since he almost HAD to go to college (the best option to be seen and increase/maintain your draft stock) he was more focused on looking good to scouts and getting his touches rather than being a team player and team success. Not saying he didn’t wanna win, but he wanted to look good doing it. He wanted to put “the I in win” ^^^^ lol. When he’s actually getting paid to play rather than auditioning for it I think he will be different. He also made it seem like he was a full 5 years older than he said he was instead of one year trying to imply he has no “upside” because of it. He’s the same age as Ben Mac who’s also a “freshman”. He also tried to make it seem as if Bazz was behind the whole lying about his age thing when it’s been documented that his sleezy father was the one behind that and that Bazz told his teammates and everyone he was around that he was 20 and wasn’t hiding anything. He says he’s an undersized 3 and I believe it’s no secret that Bazz will be a 2 in the NBA and he’s probably preparing for just such a transition. I think he’s crucifying him on account of the actions of his father and while he has legit red flags saying he should be drafted in the second round in this weak a$$ draft is LUDICROUS. The red flags will keep him out of the top 5 not out of the first round.

[M-EazyParticipant]

“He played in 32 games and had a total of 27 assists despite averaging 30 minutes a game.”

Wow that is eye popping

[M-EazyParticipant]

“He played in 32 games and had a total of 27 assists despite averaging 30 minutes a game.”

Wow that is eye popping

[rabidsnowmanParticipant]

But he’s spot on here. Muhammed will be this year’s Perry Jones III…he’ll slide way down until somebody who never even scouted him has to take a flyer on him.

[LipstickParticipant]

There were several prospects better than Jones last year and the draft was much stronger. Jones was a 10-14 pick whereas Shabazz is 5-10 this year, maybe higher depending on who’s ranking him. Really hard seeing Shabazz go lower than 20. No way he’s a second rounder.

Besides, Shabazz showed more than just flashes like what Jones did. It’s easier to know what a team’s getting with Shabazz than Jones.

[rabidsnowmanParticipant]

Perry Jones III being a second rounder either. Pretty sure he was picked up #28 by OKC. I’d say if Bazz falls to 20, what happened to PJ3 is a pretty good comparison. But w/e.

[rabidsnowmanParticipant]

Perry Jones III being a second rounder either. Pretty sure he was picked up #28 by OKC. I’d say if Bazz falls to 20, what happened to PJ3 is a pretty good comparison. But w/e.

[LipstickParticipant]

There were several prospects better than Jones last year and the draft was much stronger. Jones was a 10-14 pick whereas Shabazz is 5-10 this year, maybe higher depending on who’s ranking him. Really hard seeing Shabazz go lower than 20. No way he’s a second rounder.

Besides, Shabazz showed more than just flashes like what Jones did. It’s easier to know what a team’s getting with Shabazz than Jones.

[rabidsnowmanParticipant]

But he’s spot on here. Muhammed will be this year’s Perry Jones III…he’ll slide way down until somebody who never even scouted him has to take a flyer on him.

[Professor RozayParticipant]

This is the kind of stuff that he needs to hear so he can take a good look at himself and change some of his ways on the court. I still think that he is going to be a solid pro. He just has to make the necessary changes and I think he will be okay. If he drops so what. What ever team he goes to they are getting a good basketball player believe that…

[Professor RozayParticipant]

This is the kind of stuff that he needs to hear so he can take a good look at himself and change some of his ways on the court. I still think that he is going to be a solid pro. He just has to make the necessary changes and I think he will be okay. If he drops so what. What ever team he goes to they are getting a good basketball player believe that…

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

Damn yes bazz has his faults but everyone in this draft does also; it seems like yesterday everyone was praising him as the next Kobe.

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

Damn yes bazz has his faults but everyone in this draft does also; it seems like yesterday everyone was praising him as the next Kobe.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

Bazz is not a lotto pick based on what he did in college. If he was a nobody before college, nobody would be hyping him up as a lotto pick. The manner in which he scored just doesn’t translate well to the NBA. I’d take Sergey Karasev over him. Karasev has some of the same questions about his lateral quickness, but he is younger than Muhammad and is a much better offensive player. There isn’t much room in the league for spot-up shooters who won’t make the extra pass and are ineffective on defense.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

Bazz is not a lotto pick based on what he did in college. If he was a nobody before college, nobody would be hyping him up as a lotto pick. The manner in which he scored just doesn’t translate well to the NBA. I’d take Sergey Karasev over him. Karasev has some of the same questions about his lateral quickness, but he is younger than Muhammad and is a much better offensive player. There isn’t much room in the league for spot-up shooters who won’t make the extra pass and are ineffective on defense.

[i’m jus so offendedParticipant]

Klay Thompson ia not a 3 Mr. Doug. Stick to college bball please

[Sewok15Participant]

Klay Thompson isn’t a 3 but he is still the type of player that Shabazz would be asked to guard. Golden State ran a lot of three guard lineups with Jack at the point and the opposing 3 guarding Klay Thompson.

Shabazz will definitely have trouble guarding the bigger more athletic players in the game but a lot of people do. If he actually buys into the team concept he could be a steal in the mid first round. I have few doubts he will be able to score and he could be a very valuable sixth man. He is certainly a risky player but in this draft he has to be worth the risk at some point outside the top 10.

[Sewok15Participant]

Klay Thompson isn’t a 3 but he is still the type of player that Shabazz would be asked to guard. Golden State ran a lot of three guard lineups with Jack at the point and the opposing 3 guarding Klay Thompson.

Shabazz will definitely have trouble guarding the bigger more athletic players in the game but a lot of people do. If he actually buys into the team concept he could be a steal in the mid first round. I have few doubts he will be able to score and he could be a very valuable sixth man. He is certainly a risky player but in this draft he has to be worth the risk at some point outside the top 10.

[i’m jus so offendedParticipant]

Klay Thompson ia not a 3 Mr. Doug. Stick to college bball please

[strobox88Participant]

I’m laughing at the guy who wrote this article right now. Someone please remind me to dig this up next year so this man can humbly eat his words.

[strobox88Participant]

I’m laughing at the guy who wrote this article right now. Someone please remind me to dig this up next year so this man can humbly eat his words.

[ThepessimestParticipant]

Doug states his case in a way that seemed like he had an agenda but his premise was factual. I think many people with prospects like Bazz remember them based upon their high school reputation. If you really look at Shabazz his skill set is average. And I’m not hating I am just being honest.

Is he a great ball handler? No he isn’t. He struggles doing anything with his right hand and his effectiveness going to his right is reduced significantly.

Is he a great shooter? I would say that this past year he surprised me in how well he shot in when his feet are set. However, any jump shot taken off the dribble didn’t have much of a chance of going in. In fact I don’t remember him making a pull up jump shot after a ball fake or jab step or anything of the sort.

Does he see the floor? In short.. NO.

Defensively he isn’t responsible and seemed disinterested. Since defense is primarily mental and effort based then I will assume he can be a good defender.

So why was Shabazz effective in college? He really likes to score and will play as hard as he can to try and score. He plays a power game. And that was effective in college. In the NBA; that skill set will likely not translate as you will not be able to bully grown men at the most deep position in the NBA (which is Gotlieb’s point).

Without the ability to create off of the dribble or be a dead eye shooter why are you drafting him so high? Eliminate the “high school” reputation and look at him as any player..

When you draft him what are you getting when you draft him and what will you do when you get him?

If he isn’t your first or second option does he buy into what you are selling?

These are questions you must ask yourself.

I think Bazz can be a good player in the NBA but that will not come without a change in his mindset and he must improve his skillset. He is a limited offensive player who succeeds based upon force.

The good thing is? Shabazz has a chance to prove us naysayers all wrong and I hope he does.

I want all people to be successful.

[ThepessimestParticipant]

Doug states his case in a way that seemed like he had an agenda but his premise was factual. I think many people with prospects like Bazz remember them based upon their high school reputation. If you really look at Shabazz his skill set is average. And I’m not hating I am just being honest.

Is he a great ball handler? No he isn’t. He struggles doing anything with his right hand and his effectiveness going to his right is reduced significantly.

Is he a great shooter? I would say that this past year he surprised me in how well he shot in when his feet are set. However, any jump shot taken off the dribble didn’t have much of a chance of going in. In fact I don’t remember him making a pull up jump shot after a ball fake or jab step or anything of the sort.

Does he see the floor? In short.. NO.

Defensively he isn’t responsible and seemed disinterested. Since defense is primarily mental and effort based then I will assume he can be a good defender.

So why was Shabazz effective in college? He really likes to score and will play as hard as he can to try and score. He plays a power game. And that was effective in college. In the NBA; that skill set will likely not translate as you will not be able to bully grown men at the most deep position in the NBA (which is Gotlieb’s point).

Without the ability to create off of the dribble or be a dead eye shooter why are you drafting him so high? Eliminate the “high school” reputation and look at him as any player..

When you draft him what are you getting when you draft him and what will you do when you get him?

If he isn’t your first or second option does he buy into what you are selling?

These are questions you must ask yourself.

I think Bazz can be a good player in the NBA but that will not come without a change in his mindset and he must improve his skillset. He is a limited offensive player who succeeds based upon force.

The good thing is? Shabazz has a chance to prove us naysayers all wrong and I hope he does.

I want all people to be successful.

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

after reading all of this it seems as if most people have bazz back and dont like gottliebs statements….I hate to be the guy who disagrees with everyone but gottlieb is exactly on point with this…maybe he is wrong but i wouldnt take a chance on bazz..i mean its not like hes that great anyway. the whole age thing is irrelevant in my book, a basketball player who is a year older than his class is not that big of a deal which brings me to my next post…but for now i agree with doug g

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

after reading all of this it seems as if most people have bazz back and dont like gottliebs statements….I hate to be the guy who disagrees with everyone but gottlieb is exactly on point with this…maybe he is wrong but i wouldnt take a chance on bazz..i mean its not like hes that great anyway. the whole age thing is irrelevant in my book, a basketball player who is a year older than his class is not that big of a deal which brings me to my next post…but for now i agree with doug g

[laxmisonParticipant]

Gottlieb is a idiot. It been proven

[laxmisonParticipant]

Gottlieb is a idiot. It been proven

[AwardedBallerParticipant]

As Shabazz Muhammad being my favorite player on any level, I have nothing to say anymore. I defend him night in and night out and then the same exact people on this site come and say “Oh he has no right, he can’t dribble, he has character issues, his dad is crazy, he’s a bad teammate, he can’t pass blah blah” like omfg, if we nit pick at every prospect like we do Shabazz no one in this draft would look like a lottery pick.

You guys say ignorant stuff about his on court personality and attitude, THE MAN IS PLAYING WITH TOURETTES, DO YOU REALIZE HOW HARD THAT IS? I have a teammate on my high school with tourettes, and it is not a joke at all, he gets mad at himself, curses at himself and curses at us and gets really angry with everything and everybody, but at the end of the day he’s still one of the best teammates I have and he’s like a brother to me.

On the case of his dad, can you guys shut the hell up about that? How many parents of NBA players show up in headlines every year? Even Kobe Bryant’s mom is in headlines. You guys exaggerate every single detail on Shabazz like he’s the only player every with issues like this.

I’m not going to waste time going through the other details because you guys don’t listen or read, you’re just going to keep slandering his personality and then nit pick every single detail of his game. The man can’t even sneeze without someone saying “MAN LOOK HOW WIDE HIS NOSTRILS WENT WHEN HE SNEEZED, HE’S TRYING TO SUCK UP THE OXYGEN AND KILL HIS TEAMMATES, HE’S THE WORST TEAMMATE EVAR”

Last thing I’m going to say is, if Shabazz was the #97 ranked player in the nation coming out of high school, and he averaged 18 a game his first year of college, he would be a top 10 pick no doubt.

[alingeParticipant]

As much as I admire him for playing with Tourette’s, that will just be another red flag for NBA scouts, which is sad but true. Delonte West does a great job playing with his problems but it doesn’t help him get a contract

[alingeParticipant]

As much as I admire him for playing with Tourette’s, that will just be another red flag for NBA scouts, which is sad but true. Delonte West does a great job playing with his problems but it doesn’t help him get a contract

[AwardedBallerParticipant]

As Shabazz Muhammad being my favorite player on any level, I have nothing to say anymore. I defend him night in and night out and then the same exact people on this site come and say “Oh he has no right, he can’t dribble, he has character issues, his dad is crazy, he’s a bad teammate, he can’t pass blah blah” like omfg, if we nit pick at every prospect like we do Shabazz no one in this draft would look like a lottery pick.

You guys say ignorant stuff about his on court personality and attitude, THE MAN IS PLAYING WITH TOURETTES, DO YOU REALIZE HOW HARD THAT IS? I have a teammate on my high school with tourettes, and it is not a joke at all, he gets mad at himself, curses at himself and curses at us and gets really angry with everything and everybody, but at the end of the day he’s still one of the best teammates I have and he’s like a brother to me.

On the case of his dad, can you guys shut the hell up about that? How many parents of NBA players show up in headlines every year? Even Kobe Bryant’s mom is in headlines. You guys exaggerate every single detail on Shabazz like he’s the only player every with issues like this.

I’m not going to waste time going through the other details because you guys don’t listen or read, you’re just going to keep slandering his personality and then nit pick every single detail of his game. The man can’t even sneeze without someone saying “MAN LOOK HOW WIDE HIS NOSTRILS WENT WHEN HE SNEEZED, HE’S TRYING TO SUCK UP THE OXYGEN AND KILL HIS TEAMMATES, HE’S THE WORST TEAMMATE EVAR”

Last thing I’m going to say is, if Shabazz was the #97 ranked player in the nation coming out of high school, and he averaged 18 a game his first year of college, he would be a top 10 pick no doubt.

[Status QuoParticipant]

I’m not a fan of Shabazz but I’m still under the impression that he is a top 14 pick in this weak draft. He has flaws but to look at this draft and see the amount of flaws all the other prospects have, I’d still take him with a lottery pick. Yes, he’s a tweener of sorts in the NBA but a 20 yr old with a good feel for scoring, decent athleticism and room to grow is worth a top 14 pick. There are plenty of things he can’t do that can be TAUGHT in the NBA. I don’t expect him to come in and get 20 shots a game and avg 15 to 19 ppg, it’s not realistic.

I thought Gottlieb’s quote from a UCLA insider about Shabazz and Howland interaction was interesting, stating that he was their for self, calling him a coach killer. Howland was out the door last year without signing Shabazz, Anderson, Adams and Parker. Howland should of been out the door after the Reeves Nelson incident, so calling Shabazz a coach killer and selfish is idiotic. Howland knew who he recruited, labeling Shabazz as a coach killer in regards to Howland doesn’t make any sense.

Howland killed his job while running the UCLA program into the ground and got lucky signing those four recruits in his last year. UCLA would have fired him if not for that haul he brought in. UCLA should be better because they will have a style of play more suited for its personnel and a coach who is going to take the reins of that program, as well as two sophomores (Anderson and Adams) who will be the focus of the team.

As far as his father goes, Shabazz is a legal adult, and if his father is brought to trial and found guilty, he won’t be the least worry to Shabazz or a NBA team because he will be locked up. This article isn’t about his basketball acumen, it’s about attacking a young man who didn’t always come off as the most likable person while playing basketball. A lot of that has to do with his father, with UCLA and with the media’s high hopes for another star.

Right now with all the bashing of Shabazz and his stock supposedly falling, he’s getting my pick for this year’s Paul Pierce Award, for the player who has the best chance of slipping and becoming a good player in the L for years to come.

[Status QuoParticipant]

I’m not a fan of Shabazz but I’m still under the impression that he is a top 14 pick in this weak draft. He has flaws but to look at this draft and see the amount of flaws all the other prospects have, I’d still take him with a lottery pick. Yes, he’s a tweener of sorts in the NBA but a 20 yr old with a good feel for scoring, decent athleticism and room to grow is worth a top 14 pick. There are plenty of things he can’t do that can be TAUGHT in the NBA. I don’t expect him to come in and get 20 shots a game and avg 15 to 19 ppg, it’s not realistic.

I thought Gottlieb’s quote from a UCLA insider about Shabazz and Howland interaction was interesting, stating that he was their for self, calling him a coach killer. Howland was out the door last year without signing Shabazz, Anderson, Adams and Parker. Howland should of been out the door after the Reeves Nelson incident, so calling Shabazz a coach killer and selfish is idiotic. Howland knew who he recruited, labeling Shabazz as a coach killer in regards to Howland doesn’t make any sense.

Howland killed his job while running the UCLA program into the ground and got lucky signing those four recruits in his last year. UCLA would have fired him if not for that haul he brought in. UCLA should be better because they will have a style of play more suited for its personnel and a coach who is going to take the reins of that program, as well as two sophomores (Anderson and Adams) who will be the focus of the team.

As far as his father goes, Shabazz is a legal adult, and if his father is brought to trial and found guilty, he won’t be the least worry to Shabazz or a NBA team because he will be locked up. This article isn’t about his basketball acumen, it’s about attacking a young man who didn’t always come off as the most likable person while playing basketball. A lot of that has to do with his father, with UCLA and with the media’s high hopes for another star.

Right now with all the bashing of Shabazz and his stock supposedly falling, he’s getting my pick for this year’s Paul Pierce Award, for the player who has the best chance of slipping and becoming a good player in the L for years to come.

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

and mcw is older and erick green is a 22 year old senior and him and him and him and him…like sh*ttt half of the guys entering the draft are older than bazz anyway lol so when it comes to the age thing i am defending him…i just never understood why anybody would care about that…bernard james was like 26 last year n got drafted….jesus christ can tell me that a year or 2 makes a difference but i would disagree with him….like ive said before, they have prep schools, jucos for a reason, so that a player can preogress

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

and mcw is older and erick green is a 22 year old senior and him and him and him and him…like sh*ttt half of the guys entering the draft are older than bazz anyway lol so when it comes to the age thing i am defending him…i just never understood why anybody would care about that…bernard james was like 26 last year n got drafted….jesus christ can tell me that a year or 2 makes a difference but i would disagree with him….like ive said before, they have prep schools, jucos for a reason, so that a player can preogress

[RafterParticipant]

He brings up some valid points but a lot of it sounds very emotional and childish (which he said he wouldn’t do), what happened to journalistic integrity? In a published article, he wrote ‘kid’ crossed it out with a fancy software tool and wrote man afterwards, what purpose does that serve?

Shabazz Muhammad thinks he’s a star so how would fare in a lesser role? I do agree with what he’s trying to say here and the number of red flags that Shabazz has is quite alarming. What Muhammad needs to do is stay quiet and just let his performances do the talking because he is very talented but I figure he’ll slide on draft night, hopefully taking the experience as motivation going forward ala Paul Pierce.

[RafterParticipant]

He brings up some valid points but a lot of it sounds very emotional and childish (which he said he wouldn’t do), what happened to journalistic integrity? In a published article, he wrote ‘kid’ crossed it out with a fancy software tool and wrote man afterwards, what purpose does that serve?

Shabazz Muhammad thinks he’s a star so how would fare in a lesser role? I do agree with what he’s trying to say here and the number of red flags that Shabazz has is quite alarming. What Muhammad needs to do is stay quiet and just let his performances do the talking because he is very talented but I figure he’ll slide on draft night, hopefully taking the experience as motivation going forward ala Paul Pierce.

[NickWayne87Participant]

not that college basketball created his selfishness…..but the fact that he’s trying been trying to audition for the pros since high school is the reason he’s been selfish up to this point….I don’t think he will be as selfish AT FIRST in the pros. Well not until a contract year lol….

[NickWayne87Participant]

not that college basketball created his selfishness…..but the fact that he’s trying been trying to audition for the pros since high school is the reason he’s been selfish up to this point….I don’t think he will be as selfish AT FIRST in the pros. Well not until a contract year lol….

[kaanyrvhokParticipant]

He measured 6’6 with a 6’11 wingspan and his combine test were comparable to Igoudala’s.
I dont buy this bit about him being too small for the 3 or lacking athleticism to play the 2.

How can you have a 37 inch vert with an old man body?

He played off the ball a ton and while he only averaged 1 assist he averaged about 1.4 turnovers. 1.4 turnovers with 18 points is extremely efficient and it showed with his solid +20 efficiency rating.
He can post and hit the 3 which means he can play inside and out. His rebounding was solid.

So I see him as a guy who can play both positions, can play off the ball, can already shoot, can already post up (something many players never learn how to do), not a great rebounder but not at all soft in the paint. he wont slip past OKC and probably wont slip past Portland or Minn and he fits well with either one of those teams. He would make Minn, Portland and OKC better before he is old enough to vote.

[kaanyrvhokParticipant]

He measured 6’6 with a 6’11 wingspan and his combine test were comparable to Igoudala’s.
I dont buy this bit about him being too small for the 3 or lacking athleticism to play the 2.

How can you have a 37 inch vert with an old man body?

He played off the ball a ton and while he only averaged 1 assist he averaged about 1.4 turnovers. 1.4 turnovers with 18 points is extremely efficient and it showed with his solid +20 efficiency rating.
He can post and hit the 3 which means he can play inside and out. His rebounding was solid.

So I see him as a guy who can play both positions, can play off the ball, can already shoot, can already post up (something many players never learn how to do), not a great rebounder but not at all soft in the paint. he wont slip past OKC and probably wont slip past Portland or Minn and he fits well with either one of those teams. He would make Minn, Portland and OKC better before he is old enough to vote.

[European BasketballerParticipant]

Gottlieb said that Jon Scheyer would probably be the best player Maccabi ever had and that he could be the best player in the whole Euroleague and be a legend “at that level”………

In fact, he was Maccabi’s 15th man………………..and after two years in Europe, his career ended.

Gottlieb has no freaking clue about basketball.

[European BasketballerParticipant]

Gottlieb said that Jon Scheyer would probably be the best player Maccabi ever had and that he could be the best player in the whole Euroleague and be a legend “at that level”………

In fact, he was Maccabi’s 15th man………………..and after two years in Europe, his career ended.

Gottlieb has no freaking clue about basketball.

[Author]

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