Which NBA players gave it all up to become lazy? (Athleticism)

 So your saying players need Athleticism to shoot ?

Also these lines really confuse me, with the as good. 

I hate when guys give up there athleticism because some scout told them they cant shoot. Dequan Cook could have been as good as Quentin Richardson could have been but chose to be hopefully as good as Quentin Richardson actually turned out. 

Yeah I did. I thought he was at the time a all around good player, but wasn’t advance great at anything.

Jason Richardson or Richard Jefferson.

I think what the OP meant to say was, a player that has a lot of ability to get to the rim yet settles mostly for jump shots.

I will put Harrison Barnes on that list too.

 Well the most lazy player with the most talent to me has to me Charles Barkley. I watched those one or two hour I think its called behind the story segment on him. He never really worked out during his whole NBA career. Scottie Pippen said that Jordan told him he will never win a championship with playing with a fat lazy azz. Paraphrasing.

The line was a diss on Q also. A double diss so to speak. Quentin Richardson was one of my favorite players, there was a documentary on his AAU team with Darius Miles. Miles said he had busted shoes and Q was the coolest dude he ever met. Miles was like he was the man, game, girls, gear, swag. He could shoot, handle and post up. Then he decided to become a shooter only after all that promise with the Clips. Dequan is a similar guy, could dunk like crazy in high school and was a great offensive rebounder early at OSU. Then down hill to me.

The point was Cook could have been as good as Q, if Q lived up to his potential. Which was at least a 4 time allstar (had the tools), or at least I thought so. Since Q didn’t and Cook didn’t to a higher degree than Q didn’t, thenCook would be lucky if his career turns out as good as Q’s did. It does sound confusing and probably was written poorly, but I refuse to spellcheck or edit errors. Maybe I am being lazy, not living up to my potential as a better than mediocre poster, much like them as ballers.

and getting a jump shot. We never really get to credit a guy for changing his body composition. If everyday fat guys can change into ultra athletic guys in 90 days of PX90 than why couldn’t say Paul Pierce look like Lebron James in one summer, bus driviers at age 45 can do it. I’m talking not pick up a basketball at all and working out for 3 months. Russel Westbrook is naturally athletic but he obviously works at it, enough to stay ripped. D Rose improved his jumpshot this year, same with Ramon Sessions and Ramon will get a extra 2 million at least in his next contract for doing that. Smart moves. Why can’t Raymond Felton get in shape when he could have got a 5 million a year deal for let’s say 3 years this off season instead of the 1 year, 1 to 2 million dollar deal he will get in the summer if he is lucky. 

 Westbrook can get to the basket anytime he wants on most defenders. But he settles for jumpers

like 6 years ago. I swear this was the best basketball site in the world. Even longer ago than that, this was the site of all sites before the web ws even a big deal and part of everyones daily life. I didn’t post but loved the contend and Aran was ahead of his time. I only like two months ago started coming back and decided to join the forums. I almost totally quit after I naively posted a forum for a trade involving Granger and a expiring deal for Dirk, thus giving the Mavs enough cap for D12 and DWill. Recieved like 50 negs and was pissed. Then I realized you only get points for posting on topics not about basketball and didnt care anymore. Now I just post what I think even if its downgrading a prospect which is sacriledge on a site deticated to prospects and evaluation. I am determined to rail against any post that assumes that every year there are 60 to 80 prospects that will be NBA starter quality every year. No F_ing way

Q had some injuries but the thing is, a lot of players that got early hype never work hard enough to achieve success in the NBA.  Kobe and a few other are the only people that seem to be die hard basketball fans.  A lot of guys are blessed but care more about the fame than actually being the best baller.  You can say that about Shaq to some degree.  I Shaq would have had Kobe’s desire, he would have close to how many rings and Bill Russell and probably be on top of most of the records in the NBA.  A guy with his size athleticism and skill don’t come around often.

I’m in Cleveland and before the Cavs picked Bobbie Gibson, I said he would be the Carlos Boozer of that class. At Texas he could shoot (pure stroke), drive (nasty Handles) and had a killer floater. I remember in a game against Duke he hurt his neck and never really attacked the basket the rest of his career there. Same for Mychal Pietrus. At GSW he was a athletic freak who was a amazing defender. He had everything but a consistant shot. I thought he would be as good as Jason Richardson, then he got hurt and came back with a shot and nothing else but a big mouth.

Ben Gordon and Deshawn Stevenson both fall in the category in my oppinion.

i still remember when gordon was a rookie with the bulls, slashing to the basket and hitting floaters for the win. tight handle, solid outside shot, very fast and athletic, the complete shooting guard, well as complete as you can get offensively with his size. then i see him attacking less and shooting from the outside more or taking one dribble then pulling up.

stevenson was a high school phenom who was even compared to Jordan in the way he played. very athletic and great ball handing and slashing capabilities with an okay jumper. then he went to the nba and his lack of a jumper was exposed with the jazz. after working on it a lot and improving on it, he settled for too many jumpers and was never able to mix his slashing game to his mid range pull up jumper.

i suppose you cant blame the guy since he was supposedly on his last chance when orlando traded for him. if he dint find a role on that team, then most teams would have deemed him a high school bust. he then concentrated on defense ala bowen and now has a ring for it. it was only when he signed with washington that he really placed consistent range on his shot, but then like in the past, mostly stuck with that as his offensive repertoire. still though, it would have been something if he could have combpined all his streangths and become a very complete shooting guard, outside shot, mid-range pull-up j, good defense, slashing abilitiy and finishing above the rim.

Vince Carter

Shawn Kemp

Well Age caught up with the two not sure they realy count.

Chase Budinger

Darrell Arther

Dequan was being overrated from the jump…I have no clue why people still cap for the guy.

and one year in Utah they said become a mid range jump shooter and he never looked back. He went on a chucking spree. Why doesn’t C. J Miles work out. His arms never even had a lump in them, he tried sparingly as this year there is a little and its a contract year. Ala Danny Manning. Andre Miller has never played for a coach he was in better shape than he he played college ball for Rick Majuarus. I was worried for Terrance Jones but he tried and was successful at being a beast emotionally in the tourney. Maybe it was a facade maybe not, we will see.

The state of the cap articles (circa 2003). They were great.

 JR SMITH! Has good enough quickness to get to the lane,is strong and has crazy leaping ability, but all he does is shoot deeeeeep 3’s.

he stopped penetrating when he met Lebron. He let Delonte do all the penetrating.

Seriously, he used to have the ball on a string and then there was a force field at the free throw line.

Micheal Finley, he single handedly changed the way basketball players on every level play the game. Dunk champion streaking the the corner on a fast break.

J.R. Rider

 Deshawn Stevenson.

 Not an NBA player but he falls into this category is JR Giddens.  That guys combination of a jumpshot and athletic ability was unrivaled, such a waste of talent.  

Lamar Odom comes to mind.

deshawn stevenson came to my mind INSTANTLY

rashard lewis…. not sure if it’s because he’s old. I think he stopped caring once he got that ridiculous contract.

I would have liked to see Nick Young attack the rim more, he’s pretty athletic (eg 40 inch NO STEP VERT!).