[Pistol Pete. The PelicanParticipant]

I don’t know if i’m the only one who sees the many similarities between these players, they’re almost the same exact size. Shabazz has a 2 inch longer wingspan though. Shabazz is 6’6 223, and P.J. is 6’6 227. They can both score in bunches but leave more to be desired on the facets of the game. I think the only difference between the players is Shabazz seems to take smarter shots more often, P.J. will really force things sometimes. There is only an 11 month age difference between the 2.

So my question is if you’re a team that’s looking to draft Shabazz in the top 10, maybe the top 5, should you look at being able to draft P.J. at a later position?

Shabazz- 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.7 steals, .447% shooting, .706% from the line and .400% from three in 30.6 minutes.
P.J.-14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 blocks, 1.2 steals, .428% shooting, .778% from the line and .389% from three in 23.2 minutes

Stats aren’t much difference even though Shabazz plays 7 more minutes a game, so what do you think? Would you pass on Shabazz to get P.J. later? Maybe trade your pick or draft a big man if you have 2 picks

[ncballer]

PJ is a much better team player as well and makes everyone around him better. (with his energy, positivea PJ turned UNC’s season around almost by himself and it just baffles us UNC fans that he didn’t start until 11 games ago. That being said Shabazz is the better athlete (not by that much though). I think PJ should be considered a mid to late lottery pick. I am REALLY high on him.

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

Hairston pays much better in the post..I heard a stat recently that shabazz has a waayyy worse fg% when shooting inside..pretty much shabazz has the better pro game Hairston has the better NCAA game

[ncballer]

Since becoming a starter PJ is averaging

18.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 2 spg

49.2% FG, 41.1% 3FG,

30.7 MPG

So as a starter (again for the life of me I don’t know why the freak Roy didn’t put him in the lineup to begin with this season) he is actually slightly more efficient than Shabazz as well. The most important stat however is without PJ as a starter UNC is 16-7 including losses to Butler, Texas a few a-whoopings from NC State, Indiana etc. With him as a starter they are 8-3 with 2 of those losses being narrow defeats to top 10 teams (had UNC made free throws they had that first Duke game won) and one bad game.

I don’t know why there is not much buzz about him and what makes him a second rounder. Plays much bigger than 6’5″ (I still believe he is 6’6″ he does not look that much shorter than Bullock)

[Wejustwin504Participant]

Hairston plays in through the post about as much as D’antoni. The kid is a shooter and can put the ball on the floor. If UNC and Hairston have a legit tournament; I think we may see him on draft boards. If he happens to stay for next season and UNC lands Wiggins. WATCH OUT.

[meirmeir13]

Ill take Bazz any day , at the next level he wont have to hawk to the ball in order to get points, the floor will be more spaced out and his play will transition well. PUT IT THIS way if WEsley matthews can average 15 points a game. there is no reason bazz cant do 19

[JoeJoParticipant]

So you’re saying it’s relatively easy to average 19 points a game? There are only 12 players averaging 19 or more points a game. There are plenty of reasons why Shabazz, with his inefficient dribble-drive game, will find averaging 19 or more points not an easy task.

[WetalkinboutpracticeParticipant]

I mean a big reason why only 12 guys are averaging 19 a game is because a lot of “star” or “superstar” players happen to play on really good teams with other guys capable of scoring. Bosh only puts up what 17 a night? Blake only averages 18, both those guys are more than cable of putting up bigger scoring numbers but they don’t have to because their teams are so good.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

I said in another thread that I think other than Mclemore and Muhammad, Hairston is the 3rd best 2 guard in this class if he decides to come out. Muhammad just has the potential factor. I haven’t seen much of Muhammad play but when I do he hardly dribbles and just catches and shoots. He might have more trouble creating for himself at the next level. Hairston can handle the ball and is a solid athlete. Hairston’s game is reminiscent of Paul Pierce to me. Put it like this, if you have the opportunity to draft Mclemore or Muhammad, get them. But as a GM, I wouldn’t be dissapointed if I ended up drafting Hairston either.

[JoeJoParticipant]

I don’t get the Pierce comparisons at all. Pierce was a relentless driver to the basket before he lost his quickness and lift. That’s not PJ Hairston at all. To have a game like Pierce, you have to have a game that will get you to the line a ton, have a mid-range game and be a very good shooter from three. Hairston only has the latter.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

I think in the league Hairston will show more of the Pierce comparisons. Roy is very controlling and lacks confidence in his players abilities. If you watch closely those guys are always looking over there shoulders because they know if they make a couple mistakes here and there Roy sitting them. He rarely wants any players other than the point guard handling the rock. Hairston can create for himself. Look at Barnes the NBA player now compared to the Barnes at Carolina. We rarely saw him drive and dunk on guys. Roy also coached Paul Pierce at Kansas. I’m a little to young to remember Pierce at Kansas so I cant say how he played but I don’t know if he was the slasher at Kansas that he is known as in the league. He just stayed on the perimeter and shot jumpers. Similar to Barnes and Hairston. Hairston shows glimpses of his slashing game and he certainly has the body to take the contact. Right now I think he is just playing within Roy’s system the best way he knows how.

[TheArtistPaysthePriceParticipant]

I like PJ but he is a……… homeless mans OJ Mayo…….., that’s my official comparison, a poor mans OJ could be a late first rounder but a homeless mans version is anywhere from the 45th pick to undrafted n a good draft. To me he is just as good as Doran Lamb but I don’t think Lamb is any good so, I mean he’s a guy, but thats it. Shabazz is just a odd character in a weird scenario, but he is the much better overall prospect. I think PJ is capable of “Pulling a Selby” at the next level, that’s when you could play 12 minutes game for two weeks and never take a shot inside 18 feet. Its not an easy feat but he has what it takes to do it. If he works on his handles or at least his slashing then I think PJ could be good.

I also think athletically PJ will stay at the same level or get worse as shooters usually do in the League, I think Shabazz will be twice the athlete he is now next year, more like the plus 20 pounds probably 15 muscle that he had in high school. Maybe he deflated because its less wear and tear on his knees and while playing for free,that wouldn’t be a bad idea. Plus Shabazz is like a guy like Dion Waiters has an inflated sense of who he is and what his abilities are. That’s usually a problem but for the new metric NBA those guys can be changed because they want to score so bad that they are willing to change and adjust to be more effective because they want more notoriety and better ppg. Like how Shabazz will crash the boards hard on a shot not because he is a hustle guy but because he wants that easy bucket. He cuts and runs hard when there’s a potential for a bucket and he will be more efficient eventually because he knows it will lead to more minutes and ppg’s.

All in All, if Shabazz was my pick because I needed a 28 minute a game rookie at that position then there’s no way I would just scoop up PJ later because if he plays 17 minutes a game as a rookie then your as bad as this years BobCats or worse.

[ncballer]

Have you watched PJ play? He is not just a shooter. It’s his best attribute but look at his dunks pn FSU, Texas, GT and Duke. In the first game against Duke he had 23 points and made one 3. LOL at the Doron Lamb comparison.

[IknoBall12Participant]

On the oJ mayo and Dorian lamb comparisons. You’re an idiot. Anyways I love the topic and this is the reason I say in not high on baZz. I just don’t think he’s that much better than other prospects out there he’s just highly touted. I liked PJ a lot coming out of High school and when I heard he was going to unc I was crushed as a duke fan. But when u found out Reggie bullock was starting over him I laughed at how ridiculous roy Williams is

[Ghost01Participant]

I don’t mind the comparison, or the thread, but to the guy who said “PJ Hairston makes his team better”, LOL at you, sir. PJ Hairston is a bonafide chucker. Bonafide, in the sense, if he’s holding the ball for over 3 seconds, its almost certainly going up. I’ve watched a lot of UNC this year, and yes he has skill and can score, I’m not doubting that at all. But arguing his attributes in making others better is just silly.

[ncballer]

Have you really watched UNC this season sir?? Watch clips of them when he got 15 min a game and look at them now. He saved their season. Ask Bullock if he makes him better and Mcadoo both of whom have flat out said it. You sir have not watched UNC bball all season. Wow. He single handily turned that teams season around and his energy is contagious.

[ncballer]

Not sure why this isn’t letting me edit but since you haven’t watched UNC all season id thought id let you know that pre pj starting they lost to a kapongo-less BAD texas team by 18 and last sunday they played for the ACC title and took MIami down to the wire (a team they lost to by 26 earlier when PJ wasn’t starting. If that is not making the team or teammates better I don’t know what is.

[Author]

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