[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I went to the game to get an up close look at Andrew Wiggins for the first time. I came away impressed. It’s just the first pre-season game, but here are a few observations I made:

Wiggins – It’s been said, but I’m just confirming it… He’ll def be a stud defensively. With his athletic gifts, he also just has natural instincts and timing at that end. Plus he wants to play defense. He fell asleep off of the ball a few times and gave up layups, but he was great on the ball against Stuckey, Miles and S. Hill. He abused S. Hill a few times and made him look like a high school player. He covers so much ground. Offensively, yea… He needs to work on advanced ball handling and he has a long way to go. He’s a few dribbles and pull up or straight line drives. He only has two moves (spin and step back), but they’re so quick. He creates plenty of space with them. His footwork already looks better than what it did at Kansas. His jumpshot form looks good. A lot of shots went in and out. He’s active. He got to the line a ton of times. He jumps quicker than most players, especially like his second and third jumps. His first step and speed are elite. I think he has a chance to be special, but even at worst… I think he’s a two way All-Star level type of player. I think his floor is a Kawhi Leonard/Shawn Marion type of player. 

Young – I’ve seen him on tv, but never in person. His game works. A true combo forward who shoots the mid-range well and gets to the rim quick. Defensively, he’s small as a four, but competes. 

Rubio – He couldn’t make a shot to save his life and passes up shots. He’d drive to the basket, have a floater/layup and pass it. He’s not a threat to shoot and the defense knows it. I know it’s just the pre-season, but I was disappointed. He also had issues defending Hill. He made Hill look like he actually deserves $8 million per year. Just because you can get steals doesn’t mean you’re a good defender. That looked like the case with Rubio. 

Lavine – He’s a decent passser, but if they plan on making him a point guard, it’s going to take time. He thinks shoot and attempted a lot of long twos off the dribble. His mechanics/balance can get a lot better on his jumper. The upside is there, but it’s going to take time. He’s not ready like Wiggins is. He caught one lob, but I didn’t really get to see his athleticism on full display. He’s a great leaper and is fast, but I didn’t see the first step explosiveness. 

Dieng – I like him a lot. I knew he could defend and rebound. He’s a better offensive player than I thought. I liked how he competed against Hibbert. He’s going to be a good two way big man. 

Muhammad – He plays hard and his body looks strong/compact, but I don’t like his game. He got his shot blocked a lot. He has tunnel vision too and will shoot no matter what. Basketball is a simple game and he makes it hard… Just make the pass to the open man and stop forcing it. He’s young, but he’s going to have to find his niche as a player in the NBA. 

Robinson III – He didn’t play a ton. His first action wasn’t until the 3rd quarter I think, but he shot the ball well and had a nice dunk. He’ll see a lot of time in the D-League this season I bet. 

Bennett – He didn’t see the floor. I was disappointed because I wanted to see him play. 

[tuck243Participant]

I’m glad and disappointed in your assesment of Rubio…  Not because you’re wrong, but it’s the truth and it’s sad.   This is his 4th year in the league and he still has no jump shot.  He can’t contain his man or lead a team properly.  To add insult to injury, he passed on a $48 Million contract extension.  Shooting 27% in the 4th Quarter, why would anyone want this guy on their team? 

Play Zach at PG and hope he gets it…

 

[tuck243Participant]

I’m glad and disappointed in your assesment of Rubio…  Not because you’re wrong, but it’s the truth and it’s sad.   This is his 4th year in the league and he still has no jump shot.  He can’t contain his man or lead a team properly.  To add insult to injury, he passed on a $48 Million contract extension.  Shooting 27% in the 4th Quarter, why would anyone want this guy on their team? 

Play Zach at PG and hope he gets it…

 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

 minnesota has hired a full time shooting coach to work with rubio this season to try to improve his shot..in the past 35 years there hasnt been a player that has played a total of 5,500 minutes have had a worse effective career fg than rubio’s 40%….but kidd got better as he got older and rubio is only 23,so there’s hope….

he needs to be on a team with better players…but love gone and the t wolves being a young team.. they need more offense from him…

rubio should watch some tony parker videos and add a floater to his game..

[Mr. HookShotParticipant]

During the season? Major problem with doing this during the season is that players lack confidence in their ‘new/improved’ shot and fall back into old habits while playing the game. Better work on your shot in the off season and apply it in the pre-season with less pressure to build up your confidence. 

 

[Mr. HookShotParticipant]

During the season? Major problem with doing this during the season is that players lack confidence in their ‘new/improved’ shot and fall back into old habits while playing the game. Better work on your shot in the off season and apply it in the pre-season with less pressure to build up your confidence. 

 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

 minnesota has hired a full time shooting coach to work with rubio this season to try to improve his shot..in the past 35 years there hasnt been a player that has played a total of 5,500 minutes have had a worse effective career fg than rubio’s 40%….but kidd got better as he got older and rubio is only 23,so there’s hope….

he needs to be on a team with better players…but love gone and the t wolves being a young team.. they need more offense from him…

rubio should watch some tony parker videos and add a floater to his game..

[BajeebzParticipant]

 I was stressing, worried that I wasn’t going to see the game (luckily my stream worked), but what I saw during the game was almost more stressful..That was as frantic a basketball game Ive seen in a long time..many of the Wolves players looked like chickens running with their heads chopped off..

Good analysis, IndianaBasketball. I watched pretty much all of Wiggins’ games at KU, but still its nice to see the talent translate. He was confident, like he knew he belonged the minute he stepped on the floor.

As for LaVine, I love his youthful ignorance and hope he keeps his confidence/swagger going forward, but he really struggled..hate to say it but he reminded me Twolves legend Alexey Shved with his off-balance perimeter jumpers. First game though so its whatever..for what its worth his J looked silky during the Dunks After Dark event last week.

Shabazz has given me a whole new respect for the round mound of rebound, Sir Charles Barkley. Bazz got in the best shape of his life to prep for the season, and last nite he played his usual game as the undersized power forward, but no matter the effort and athletic improvements he was still rejected by the rim and other players on numerous occasions. Barkley was smaller than Muhammad is and he became a HOFer with that approach. Much respect. Anyway, Im rooting for Bazz and hope he figures it out. Gotta love his effort.

[BajeebzParticipant]

 I was stressing, worried that I wasn’t going to see the game (luckily my stream worked), but what I saw during the game was almost more stressful..That was as frantic a basketball game Ive seen in a long time..many of the Wolves players looked like chickens running with their heads chopped off..

Good analysis, IndianaBasketball. I watched pretty much all of Wiggins’ games at KU, but still its nice to see the talent translate. He was confident, like he knew he belonged the minute he stepped on the floor.

As for LaVine, I love his youthful ignorance and hope he keeps his confidence/swagger going forward, but he really struggled..hate to say it but he reminded me Twolves legend Alexey Shved with his off-balance perimeter jumpers. First game though so its whatever..for what its worth his J looked silky during the Dunks After Dark event last week.

Shabazz has given me a whole new respect for the round mound of rebound, Sir Charles Barkley. Bazz got in the best shape of his life to prep for the season, and last nite he played his usual game as the undersized power forward, but no matter the effort and athletic improvements he was still rejected by the rim and other players on numerous occasions. Barkley was smaller than Muhammad is and he became a HOFer with that approach. Much respect. Anyway, Im rooting for Bazz and hope he figures it out. Gotta love his effort.

[WarblingSpamalopeParticipant]

How long does Ricky Rubio get a pass on his shooting? Everyone says he’ll get better. He has been the same player since he was first hyped as a teen. His defense is over rated because of his steals stats. He collapses the team defense a lot because he can’t shed picks. I’m like a jilted lover. I want him to be good, but there is no improvement year after year. 

It just makes me wonder about if Flip is serious about trying to make the playoffs. If he is we are going see a lot less of Lavine and Baz. They just need more time to work on their game. Flip could use Rubio, Williams, Martin, Brewer, Budinger, Wiggins, Young, Bennett, Pek, and Dieng. That’s ten deep with only 1 rookie and 2 second year players getting minutes. 

You have to love what Wiggins brings. He is already ready to go and he has plenty of room to grow. Real deal.

 

 

 

[WarblingSpamalopeParticipant]

How long does Ricky Rubio get a pass on his shooting? Everyone says he’ll get better. He has been the same player since he was first hyped as a teen. His defense is over rated because of his steals stats. He collapses the team defense a lot because he can’t shed picks. I’m like a jilted lover. I want him to be good, but there is no improvement year after year. 

It just makes me wonder about if Flip is serious about trying to make the playoffs. If he is we are going see a lot less of Lavine and Baz. They just need more time to work on their game. Flip could use Rubio, Williams, Martin, Brewer, Budinger, Wiggins, Young, Bennett, Pek, and Dieng. That’s ten deep with only 1 rookie and 2 second year players getting minutes. 

You have to love what Wiggins brings. He is already ready to go and he has plenty of room to grow. Real deal.

 

 

 

[baggin13Participant]

I was impressed by Brewer. He came out and did his thing and he looked real good. He played well on D, and was very effective on transition. I just love a guy like Brewer, works hard, plays hard and always has a smile on his face. Glad he is still with the Wolves.

[baggin13Participant]

I was impressed by Brewer. He came out and did his thing and he looked real good. He played well on D, and was very effective on transition. I just love a guy like Brewer, works hard, plays hard and always has a smile on his face. Glad he is still with the Wolves.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Yea, Brewer is one of those glue guys you’d like to have on your squad. 

For how skinny he is, especially his legs lol, he really plays tough and without fear. I liked the way he got out in transition and finished strong on a couple of dunks. Quick hands and feet on defense and just has a nose for the ball. 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Yea, Brewer is one of those glue guys you’d like to have on your squad. 

For how skinny he is, especially his legs lol, he really plays tough and without fear. I liked the way he got out in transition and finished strong on a couple of dunks. Quick hands and feet on defense and just has a nose for the ball. 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 

You hit it on the head when you say steals arent an indicator of how good someone is defensively. That describes Rubio perfectly. People overrate his defense so much its not even funny. He sticks to screens like velcro and can’t keep up with guys to save his soul. He’s instinctive off the ball, but as a PG, his guy has the ball a lot more often then not. 

I saw a couple minutes on the internet streaming it so the quality wasnt great but I was impressed by Wiggins as well. Guy doesnt force shots which I like but I also think it may keep him from putting up big numbers right away because he may settle into a role playing mentality initially. I hope I’m wrong on that. 

It will be a long year for Wolves fans expecting this team to be better, but it will be fun to see the youngsters progress.

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 

You hit it on the head when you say steals arent an indicator of how good someone is defensively. That describes Rubio perfectly. People overrate his defense so much its not even funny. He sticks to screens like velcro and can’t keep up with guys to save his soul. He’s instinctive off the ball, but as a PG, his guy has the ball a lot more often then not. 

I saw a couple minutes on the internet streaming it so the quality wasnt great but I was impressed by Wiggins as well. Guy doesnt force shots which I like but I also think it may keep him from putting up big numbers right away because he may settle into a role playing mentality initially. I hope I’m wrong on that. 

It will be a long year for Wolves fans expecting this team to be better, but it will be fun to see the youngsters progress.

 

 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

shane whittington a 6’11 undrafted rookie from western michigan looks promising..he impressed alot of teams at portsmith and in workouts..he might’ve gotten drafted somewhere in the 2nd round if he hadnt broken a ligament in his foot….

after the game  the other night, coach vogel had good things to say about his performance…but playing behind so many vets in the frontcourt,he might have a hard time getting minutes..

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

shane whittington a 6’11 undrafted rookie from western michigan looks promising..he impressed alot of teams at portsmith and in workouts..he might’ve gotten drafted somewhere in the 2nd round if he hadnt broken a ligament in his foot….

after the game  the other night, coach vogel had good things to say about his performance…but playing behind so many vets in the frontcourt,he might have a hard time getting minutes..

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I didn’t give my observations on any of the Pacers players, but you’re right. Shayne Whittington did look very promising. 

I knew nothing about his game before seeing him during the Pacers scrimmage at the Fan Jam last week. I didn’t expect for him to have range out to damn near 25 feet. I mean, he can really shoot the ball. He’s not athletic, but he moves well for somebody his size. He’s light on his feet. He looks promising as a stretch big man. He needs to show he can defend. 

Between Whittington, Damjan Rudez, Chris Copeland and CJ Miles… The Pacers have several guys who can really shoot the ball, which is something they haven’t had the last few seasons. 

I’m interested to see how Frank Vogel incorporates these players. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I didn’t give my observations on any of the Pacers players, but you’re right. Shayne Whittington did look very promising. 

I knew nothing about his game before seeing him during the Pacers scrimmage at the Fan Jam last week. I didn’t expect for him to have range out to damn near 25 feet. I mean, he can really shoot the ball. He’s not athletic, but he moves well for somebody his size. He’s light on his feet. He looks promising as a stretch big man. He needs to show he can defend. 

Between Whittington, Damjan Rudez, Chris Copeland and CJ Miles… The Pacers have several guys who can really shoot the ball, which is something they haven’t had the last few seasons. 

I’m interested to see how Frank Vogel incorporates these players. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

I would just throw Rubio, Wiggins, Brewer, Thad Young, and Dieng out there and let them play.

Put LaVine, Shabazz, Bennett, and Pek on the second unit.

I think they could be in that Suns-Pelicans range this year.  Just solid enough to run a team’s roadtrip.  

Can’t wait to see Wiggins once the regular season starts.  I also want to see how Jabari does (sounds like his fourth quarter went well last night as the Bucks beat the Grizzlies).  Both guys are on my fantasy team so that adds more importance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

I would just throw Rubio, Wiggins, Brewer, Thad Young, and Dieng out there and let them play.

Put LaVine, Shabazz, Bennett, and Pek on the second unit.

I think they could be in that Suns-Pelicans range this year.  Just solid enough to run a team’s roadtrip.  

Can’t wait to see Wiggins once the regular season starts.  I also want to see how Jabari does (sounds like his fourth quarter went well last night as the Bucks beat the Grizzlies).  Both guys are on my fantasy team so that adds more importance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[anthony_DavIS23Participant]

Pek in the second unit? He’s their best player!! Also… they are far from  ‘that Suns- Pelicans range’ don’t disrespect the pelicans like that again please!

LaVine and Rubio worried me – doesn’t really seem like they have their point for the future yet.

 

[anthony_DavIS23Participant]

Pek in the second unit? He’s their best player!! Also… they are far from  ‘that Suns- Pelicans range’ don’t disrespect the pelicans like that again please!

LaVine and Rubio worried me – doesn’t really seem like they have their point for the future yet.

 

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

 Wiggins could be a better version of Tmac(defensively), but I think he ends up like Paul George ( which is not a slight at all)

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

 Wiggins could be a better version of Tmac(defensively), but I think he ends up like Paul George ( which is not a slight at all)

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