David Thorpe has assessed the rookies after one month and Dion didn’t make his top 10. Here’s what he had to say about Waiters:
“Dion Waiters, Cavaliers — Nov. 23: Waiters still looks like a more dribble-happy version of Marcus Thornton with a bigger upside. His raw numbers looked good against the Magic — he scored 25 points and dished out 5 assists with no turnovers. But I counted him shooting 3-for-10 on bad shots, meaning he missed seven times when he had far better options than what he chose: step-back 3s with time on the clock, a one-on-three transition drive and “hope” shot, and forced long jumpers.
During Cleveland’s recent five-game stretch, he made five shots per game and missed 12 per game, which is tough to swallow when Cleveland lost four of those games by close margins. If Waiters learns the value of good shot selection, he’ll see his shooting percentages go up while his team wins more games.”
Thoughts?
I take everything Thorpe says with a grain of salt. He very clearly pimps guys that he works out (i.e. they are PAYING him), thus everything he says is invalidated by that bias.
Remember, this is the same guy that said Tristan Thompson was the 2nd best rookie from last year’s class. I’m a Cavs fan, but that insulted my intelligence. (And guess who got paid to work out Tristan Thompson? That’s right, David Thorpe.)
And in regards to the “more dribble-happy Marcus Thornton” comment, frankly, I find that absurd considering I’ve never seen a player who appears to love dribbling more than Thornton does. And while Dion may sometimes take some ill-advised shots (for which I can’t really blame him given that, with Irving out, he’s really the only player that can effectively create for himself), he’s a better facilitator than Thornton ever has been.
Also, these rankings are dumb, and pointless, and dumb. We’re a month into the season.
Seems way too negative.
I love Dion’s game. The shooting percentage will go up, no worries at all about him.
Guys I have no worries about:
1. Kyrie Irving, yes I know the defense, he’s young it will come around
2. Andy V. (I can never spell his last name), he looks great
3. Dion Waiters, looks like a scorer who will only get better
This is why I’m excited about this Cavs team.
I also think it’s too negative…and I don’t really see how Dion is dribble-happy- I think he’s been pretty quick and decisive- and that one move he does on the right wing that’s basically a quick jabstep/fake to the middle of the court before the dribble drive? Beautiful
Thorpe couches all of what he says in who is working out with him and what he thinks of players’ demeanor so you have to take his “rankings” with caution but his actual analysis is usually ok. My gripe with his comments about Dion is the constant Marcus Thornton comparison. As it relates to scoring ability in general it makes sense. I’m not mad at that comparison because Thornton is a clear 18 a game scorer if given the green light.
Dion doesnt show the lethargic on-ball defense and tunnel-vision scoring that Thornton does though. Dion’s handle and vision are eons better and his jumper isn’t nearly as consistent.
The notes about shot-type are true but even with his forced shots he’s shooting 38% on above the break 3′s and 41 from mid-range. Those are more than acceptable rookie year numbers and even if he never gets better from there then he can be a borderline-all star Mitch Richmond type by learning to finish. 36% in the restricted area and 23% on paint shots is terrible. Using the eye-test though we can all see how many “almost” finishes and rim-outs he has. That’s going to come as a function of practice and coaching. I worry where he’ll get that but I have to think it’ll come.
Dion does dribble a lot. But that is because BScott’s offense is centered around penetrating guards creating offense for others. With Kyrie out, Dion has an enormous burden for a rookie, and is clearly being asked to control the ball and the offense. Given that, I don’t think his “dribbling” is a problem – he is doing what the team needs.
His current problem is definitely his over reliance on deep jumpers. But his decision making in the P-n-R, and off the dribble, is really really great. I see tons of upside as he matures. By far the best choice Grant could have made. There isn’t a single wing I would want over him from this draft. MKG is the closest, but less upside for BScott team. And Lillard is not a wing.
I’ll just second Hot Sauce’s comment. And add that he has to get better finishing.
Has anyone else noticed that Dion has a weird hitch in his shot? He “turns” or rotates off a pivot foot into the shot, rarely going straight up. He even does it at the free throw line sometimes. I think it’s part of the reason he’s so good pulling up from the left baseline, but I think it effects his shooting percentage, especially on set shots. It’s also why he seems at an angle a lot of times when pulling up. He definitely doesn’t seem to shoot with his shoulders square. He does get a lot of elevation on his jumper and shoots well from three, but I could definitely see it effecting his consistency.
As for the way he handles the ball in the offense, I don’t have a problem with it. It’s when he pulls up for dumb shots early in the shot clock or doesn’t make the pass and cut when he’s being hedged. He seems to be looking for the homerun pass a lot, rather than just moving the ball. However, when he’s out there with TT, and Miles I can see why he holds the ball sometimes.
It’s hard to believe that he won’t improve at finishing over time, he gets there too well. I think he makes his mind up on how he’s going to finish too soon and the shot is bothered by the defender. I’m hoping once he’s comfortable with the size and speed of the NBA, he’ll open up and be a little more creative at the rim. Above all I’d like to see him get that down this season and then work on his shot in the off-season.
Honestly, His problem is on finishing. That’s why we got him. The D-Wade comparisons. Like people have said, his 3′s are as good as could be expected, and hitting his mid range shot (which is being crucified as poor shot selection) at 41% is probably his most noteworthy accomplishment at this point. If Waiters did everything he is currently doing but could actually finish near the rim he’d be in conversation for the top spot on this list, no doubt.
I’m not super concerned, because the guy finished them in college, and he gets there a lot and doesn’t get blocked a ton, and most of his attempts at least come pretty close. At the same time though, I’m not ready to say he’ll for sure be great at finishing eventually. The guy doesn’t have the explosiveness or hops to get up over the bigger NBA defenders, and has to contort his shot a lot to not get blocked. If someone has seen him slam home a dunk over a big man in the half court I’d love to see the highlight, cause I haven’t seen it. Great finishing SG’s can usually do that once in a while. That said, the man can always learn from Kyrie, a great finisher who rarely dunks on anyone, and hopefully learn the craftiness and spin to finish below the rim at an acceptable rate, but the guy is light years apart from being a wade-esque finisher. There have been many times where he’s been driving to the hoop and he jumps and I get ready for a big eff you dunk, and he doesn’t quite get there and puts up some awkward rolling layup that rims out instead.
I still have faith that the guy will improve, that eventually his rookie hazing will end and he’ll get the whistles he should, which will give him the confidence to contort less and initiate contact more, and he’ll become an above average finisher who gets to the rim and free throw line a lot and has a decent shooting stroke and good vision for a sg. However, given his limited vertical game and poor results so far, I’m not blind enough to write it up as a foregone conclusion like certain homers (Cols, here’s to you buddy! Gotta have a couple eternal optimists around to counter the Mallory’s of the blog)
Brian
That seems about right. The best thing about Waiters and Irving is that they have that great ability to get to the rim. Having two guys like that is going to be great.
His shooting will improve, it was pretty decent in college so I don’t think he’ll have too many problems there.
As I’ve said, I have one major concern. Thorpe is right about the shot selection. To echo Nate, he pulls up WAY too often for dumb shots early in the clock. This is probably my biggest concern, as it might mean he’s a chucker. I actually think he’s played better without Kyrie than when he was playing with him – he’s looking to drive far more than before. That being said, he NEEDS to stop with the step back jumpers.
To add on, the reason why this worries me so much is wild shooters are pretty hard to tame. At the pro level, shot selection is key (duh) and it’s easy, especially on a bad team, to get into horrible habits. He’s really athletic, but instead of using his athleticism, he often looks like he just wants to shoot immediately. That’ll be hard to train out of him.
oh btw, Have you guys seen that, even with as bad as we’ve been, the Cavs are still 21st on Hollinger’s statistical driven power rankings? I guess playing a brutal schedule like we have should temper expectations on results a bit, and we really have been in most of our games in the 4th quarter so far.
Wait, Dion didn’t make the top TEN?
I don’t have insider, who in the world outside of Lillard, MKG, Davis, and Barnes did he put ahead of him?
Beal? Drummond? Lol?
I definitely wouldn’t put Lillard above him, Barnes perhaps.
And MF II
THIS IS HIS ROOKIE YEAR THAT HE”S PLAYED ALL OF 1 MONTH OR SO.
What part of players getting better as they gain experience don’t you get?
shooting 37% from the field for a 3-12 team will limit how people view your talents.
Amen Swirving. I think the Cavs have to (and will) make a move at some point this season. We’ll see how that goes.
And Cols – no one is saying he wont get better. These are all just initial returns.
Cols, NOT EVERY ROOKIE REACHES THEIR POTENTIAL. What part of pointing out flaws, areas for improvement, and concern about red flags don’t you get?
His show selection is a legitimate concern. So is his inability to finish. He’s always had questionable shot selection dating to syracuse, and he never had to finish over athletic 7 footers and NBA-talent wings every night in college. Simply pointing out a few reasons to be optimistic doesn’t gaurantee that the problem is of no concern. To look at waiters and ignore all the bad stuff and just project the good stuff is silly. Any Wizards fan can predict a 2013 Larry obrien trophy if they simply expect everything that could go right does go right for all their players.
Kyrie – you know what i don’t care at all about Hollinger’s Power Rankings? Because the regular season is a different animal than the playoffs. For 2 straight years the Cavs were the BEST team in hollinger’s power rankings and he predicted they would win the finals, and they didn’t. It’s great that you think being 21st is good – you must have had pretty low expectations. I would say that’s about what I expected and it’s a bummer. Also, they are meaningless this early in the season. For example, people are constantly questioning whether the Lakers will MISS the playoffs. This is absurd. If Dwight Howard and scrubs could make the playoffs, I’m sure Dwight Howard, Kobe Byrant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, and scrubs can make the playoffs. They aren’t healthy and it is very difficult sometimes to integrate new pieces. The Cavs were 66-16 and it took a long time to integrate Shaq into the offense. Hollinger’s power rankings are probably better than regular standings and predicting future success, but not by a ton, and not after 15 games.
Mallory..sometimes stepbacks are great shots. DWade, Brandon Roy and a host of other 2 guards made a living on those. If he’s going to hit in the low 40%’s on those then by all means fire a few up. That’s a scoring skill that a coach wouldnt want to quell in an iso scorer. Also he can learn to draw fouls on the perimeter with that move and keep his defender on his hip for dribble drives. That step back is a weapon, not a bad habit. Finding out how and when to use it is exactly what he should be doing now.
Also, I’d challenge your “wild shooters” blanket statement. Even the biggest outliers in shot selection have had better and more approving results when on teams with leadership and structure. Jamal Crawford is a historic chucker and when given 2 roles on a good team (score as much on the 2nd unit and bail out plays in the 4q when CP3 is trapped) he’s been amazing in his role. Jason Terry, Nick Van Exel, hell even Antoine Walker in the Dallas and Miami years. The NBA is littered with players who were considered problems in a structured offense who fell into a role when clearly shown that they would succeed and that there is a better option. Kyrie and a good scheme would represent those options in Dion’s development. We’ve got one of the two right now. Dude isn’t Ricky Davis or Nick Young.
There’s a great 82games post about shot clock usage at;www dot 82games dot com/comm32 dot htm
With great offensive rebounders in TT and Andy, a skilled shotmaker in Kyrie and Dion probably on track to round into a strong ISO/PnR player, it would be sound to hunt shots early and work early offense. This season is a science experiment for all intents and purposes. Making moves for the sake of making moves seems like a terrible idea. Especially given that the majority of the talent is falling into place. Rudy Gay is excelling, Josh Smith isn’t being traded. It’s year two of a rebuild (counting the post-lebron year is just shortsighted), patience is key.
Lebron didn’t bring Jordan results but he’s one of like 3 modern players you can say are Jordan-like in impact. It took the Bulls 8 years to clean up their house. There’s no Eddy Curry/Tyson Chandler disaster draft/development classes here. (Unless the Cavs start listening to chatter and blow up the Tristan Thompson project)
I’d really love to see what percentage of Dion’s shots come during certain time frames. I don’t think he takes as many early pull-up jumpers as people think.
The biggest myth in the world is that Dion takes bad shots. I mean, first of all is there ANY more subjective measure in the known universe than “bad shots?” This is a complete hang-over from Dion’s summer league performance and is the kind if lazy sports journalism I despise, whether it come from Thorpe or Pluto. I focus on his shot selection every game and never seen him take more than 3, maybe 4, bad shits in any game so far. And I’ve watched every minute of Dion’s play. Has Thorpe? Doubt it.
As for the finishing thing. I swear, I sometimes feel like some of you don’t actually watch the games. He is ALREADY finishing better right now then earlier in the season. Yes, he can get even better but if you actually watch CLOSELY he really seems to be adjusting and finishing better.
As I said previously, I think there had been a whole lot of goal-post moving on Dion in this blog, save for Kevin Hetrick. The guy is exceeding expectations. Leads all rookies in steals, btw and is running the point better than anyone not named Kyrie we’ve had in 3 years (he’s a better passer/assist guy then Sessions, IMO) 15 games into his career. I mentioned it a few days ago and absolutely no one seemed to notice it but Wade and Dion’s numbers through their first 13games were nearly IDENTICAL including the FG%. Grant got the pick right and, quite frankly, all the “experts” who didn’t see that pick coming are now basically being haters…
Wow. I have a helluva typo in there! Commence the jokes! Damn…
Tom, no one said Hollingers Rankings are the end all be all. Clearly the playoffs are a different animal. (A fact that actually makes me closer to wanting to trade Andy, where his hustle and non-stop motor don’t differentiate himself from the rest of the guys on the court as much) and if he predicted them perfectly no one would bet on playoff games.
That said, the winners of the last few championships have all been toward the top of his rankings, and his ranking most assuredly DO have the lakers comfortably in the playoffs. I’d be more concerned about the small sample size you mention and how accurate his valuing of home vs away games are than the rankings as a whole. Regardless, I don’t think being 21st is good, but its certainly better than being 28th, which is what our record indicates.
KyrieSwIrving
I totally understand that not all rookies reach their potential. However, MF II seems to harbor some weird hatred toward Waiters.
He’s the only one who thinks that Waiters takes tons of bad shots. He’s basically the only one here who thinks that Waiters won’t get any better or is doubtful it will happen.
These statements are being made after about a month of play.
Meanwhile everyone keeps pointing out that maybe Waiters isn’t taking that many bad shots, that it’s likely his shooting percentage is going to rise as he gets more experience and learns how to play in the NBA. He’s shown a unique ability to get to the hoop, make 3s, and not have many turnovers. Yet no matter what is pointed out, MF continually pouts about how much Dion Waiters is ruining his life.
It’s nuts. If you want to be completely down about a young Cavs team fine, but quit trying to bring down the rest of us. Especially since early returns are so freaking positive.
Demetrius – the problem isn’t that he takes step back jumpers, it’s that he takes them with 15 seconds on the clock, While he’s being covered.
I have no problem with taking high percentage shots, but there are times where he simply lets it fly too quickly. If you don’t see that, then you’re overlooking a flaw in his game intentionally.
That’s not to say he can’t correct it, and to a certain degree I agree it’s a good time to learn when to use his arsenal of weapons, but the guy really is taking some blatantly stupid shots.
I totally agree about the chucker thing – on the right team, that makes sense. But this is a young team with VERY little leadership where we’re actually expecting HIM to grow into a leader. If he was a 30 year old vet coming onto a playoff caliber team, that’s fine, but with the number 4 pick in a deep draft year you should really hope for more.
Thorpe used real numbers to count the number of bad shots Waiters took guys – it’s right there in front of you. If you choose to ignore it fine, but don’t attack me for point something out that people who actually do this for a living have noticed.
Here’s another critique of Waiters from SI -
http://nba.si.com/2012/11/28/nba-rookies-dion-waiters-jared-sullinger/
MF
Did Dion Waiters steal your girlfriend or boyfriend in high school or something?
KJ, no way is Dion a better facilitator than sessions, thats crazy talk. And you mention he takes 3 or 4 bad shots some games, I have only watch half the games, but he seems to be hitting that mark every game (though not going over), which is a lot. No one should take 3 or 4 contested jumpers with 12+ seconds on the shot clock every game. And as much as you say he’s finishing better, you must mean asthetically, because its not showing up in made buckets. His finishing at the rim percentage hasn’t climbed at all in the last week or two.
Simply posting the same stats as a player 13 games into your rookie year means absolutely nothing. He and wade aren’t all of a sudden the same player. All that goes to show is that you can’t write him off, which no one here is doing. But at the same time, there are probably tens to hundreds of SG’s that have had better stats than dion 13 games into their careers who never became any good.
AS for me, his D and passing are meeting or exceeding my expectations, as is his 3 point shooting and mid range game. However, I’d be remiss to say I ever would have been happy with 37% from the field. that’s not rough, thats awful. He’ll get better, but he better get a LOT better, and that’s really what we’re worried about. This guy is slated to be our westbrook to Kyrie’s KD, like the comparisons or not. We need a second all-star level talent, and they guy has real red flags about whether or not he’ll get there. No one is jumping ship on him, we’re just expressing concerns, and saying where he could improve to most effectively ease those concerns.
LOUD NOISES ABOUT HOW INCREDIBLE ALL CAVS PLAYERS ARE/WILL BECOME
I think this is pretty positive from SI and gets it about right. Remember we are talking about 15 games into his rookie season.
“There’s some fun two-way potential for Waiters and Irving to work off one another, and the roots of their fledgling chemistry are already apparent. The relationship is a bit stilted at this point, as Waiters is often too preoccupied with barreling toward the rim to actually read the passing lanes created by his drives. But with both players capable of initiating the offense and knocking down spot-up looks on the weak side (Waiters has converted an impressive 51.6 percent of his spot-up three-point attempts, per Synergy Sports Technology), the Cavs could have the foundation of a sound drive-and-kick system. That assessment banks on some improvement in Waiters’ playmaking judgment, but we can safely assume that some gains will be made in that regard over the next few seasons.”
Please note, I did not make comment in all caps above.
Thorpe has been kind of anti-Waiters since the draft. I don’t think he necessarily has a vendetta against a 20 year-old, but he may want to look right all along. Hard to explain what I mean by that.
As mentioned earlier, if he starts finishing at the rim and getting 4-6 free throws a night he’ll be averaging like 22 points a game. I’m still on board with Waiters and would rather have him than anyone who came after him.
Here’s Thorpe’s Top Ten if any of you don’t have Insider:
1. Damian Lillard
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
3. Jonas Valanciunas
4. Anthony Davis
5. Andre Drummond
6. Kyle Singler
7. Brian Roberts
8. John Henson
9. Moe Harkless
10. Alexey Shved
Cols, the early returns are a 3-12 record and 37% shooting from the field. Neither of those are positive in the present. The future is still bright, and he certainly has flashed all-star potential, but the early returns have been nothing close to all-star or even decent starter level. I get that he’s young and will improve, so does mallory. But honestly, I had high expectations for waiters, and while he hasn’t shattered my dreams, he hasn’t blown me away with anything I didn’t expect from him enough to make up for the fact that the guy hits 37% from the field. He steals and rebounds and defends well, that was all on the scouting report and I’m glad to see its been translating. He also finished, and that hasn’t translated. He also took contested jumpers with time on the clock, that HAS translated. So overall, the early returns of 3-12 and 37% while otherwise being about where I expected him certainly fall below my expectations, so I’m going to be a little critical. I’ve never heard Mallory say Dion is a bust, or that he won’t get better, just pointing out what he is doing poorly that certainly part of the reason we are losing games.
Once again
There is no problem with being critical. It’s being critical while also being relentlessly negative about players improving.
The key is that he is showing tons of ability. The key is not that he hasn’t put it all together. Who the heck expected Waiters to be a finished product this season let alone the first month or two of this season?
No one. That’s why I don’t get the nonstop criticisms from MF. It’s like he expected Waiters and Irving to be SuperStars right out of the box. That just doesn’t happen.
Kyrieswing, Sessions was an awful facilitator for the Cavs unti about 2 months before he was traded. It was commented on by the Cavs broadcast crew nearly nightly. Seriously anyone who watched Sessions early in his Cavs tenure cringed at us a k of PG skills or even basic feel for facilitating. Mostly useless drives into the middle of the defense…
I know about the finishing numbers and I knew someone would bring those up but Dion has gotten better. He has learned, for instance, how to blow by the big man trailing him and getting the ball up on the board before the block comes. That was something he struggled with earlier in the year. Clear progress that NUMBERS alone don’t tell you. Look, I loved advanced
stats as much as the next guy (it was a big reason I fell in love with Dion, pre-draft) but watching tells you something too. Too much emphasis on numbers to the near exclusion of watching. I watch every minute of every game.
Oh, and for you to dismiss the Wade comparisons (which are apt for a number of reasons) because of the limited number of games played, well, by that “logic” NO discussion of ANY numbers would be valid because he’s played such few games! Funny, that hasn’t stopped anyone on the blog from firing away! Come on, dood…
Dion’s per 36minute numbers are incredibly similar to JR Smith’s rookie numbers. Except with a worse shooting percentage. That’s why you might worry about him being a chucker.
It s ASININE to fixate on one freakin’ stat like FG% as KyrieSwIrving is. Rookies struggle to shoot! Except Kyrie. Rookies also turnover the ball like mad. But Dion doesn’t. Great passer, good defender with high steals numbers in comparison with his class. Better than advertised 3 point shooter. Tough. Unafraid if the moment. Good Christ, he has exceeded expectations and is playing at least as well as any rookie not named Lillard!!
KJ is right about one thing, Dion is definitely shooting better at the rim now than he was earlier in the season. He created and converted two nice shots near the basket during the Phoenix game that definitely reminded me of Wade.
“As for the finishing thing. I swear, I sometimes feel like some of you don’t actually watch the games. He is ALREADY finishing better right now then earlier in the season. Yes, he can get even better but if you actually watch CLOSELY he really seems to be adjusting and finishing better.” – Kj
Dion Waiters “inside” shots: eFG (that’s EFFECTIVE, not even just FG%): 37%. That is putrid.
Fortunately, everyone in Cleveland (and on CtB) loves Waiter’s potential. The coach loves him, the GM loves him, we all love him, and some of us pretty much just rave about him nonstop because he’ll flash some awesome tools from time to time. (guilty as charged) But when you two guys start analyzing the present with such wild delusions, you’re gonna get called out on it. He’s shooting 38% from the field. You can’t say “BUT HE’S A ROOKIE !@#!@#!@#@!” and then start comparing him to Dwyane Wade. Wade is one of the greatest FINISHING shooting guards in the history of the NBA. He is an undersized, poor shooting guard whose career arc is basically an injury riddled version of Michael Jordan’s early years before he (Jordan) refined his shooting stroke. And that’s going to make him (Wade) a first ballot hall of famer.
No one has made more Wade comparisons that I have regarding Waiters, but there’s two obstacles he faces, and one of them he cannot overcome. Obstacle one is that Dwyane Wade shoots over 65% around the basket area. That is what centers and guys like LeBron James and Tony Parker do. Basically, the 1% of finishers. The elite of the elite. Right now, Dion Waiters does not FINISH like Dwyane Wade. More like Norris Cole. I believe that he has the quickness and first step and has shown the ability to blow by his defender in a Wade-like manner. His obstacle, then, is actually converting at the rmi – and while he had ONE GAME where he finished a bunch of shots creatively, he in no way has a resume that lends to anything remotely worthy of Kj’s hyperventilation. I hope he gets there. If he can take 30-40% of his shots in the painted area or closer and convert at 65%, he will be an all-star, and it really won’t matter that he’s not Steph Curry on PUJITS and that he has a hitch or whatever. What he cannot overcome is that he is not the otherworldly athlete that Dwyane Wade is. And that’s not a poor reflection on him, as Wade is one of the greatest athletes of this generation. Waiters could make up a little ground with what seems to be a head start on 3 point range.
This is why the shot selection stuff and the finishing matters. It is intertwined. Right now Waiters has eFG of 48% on 75% of his shots and they are jump shots. Not good. If these are the only shots he can get off, he WILL be Ricky Davis 2.0. If these are the shots he merely takes when he catches fire, or when there is no other resort, it won’t matter in the slightest. But he’s got to be able to finish. In the postseason, the victor is the team that gets easy buckets in half-court sets. Once upon a time that meant huge Centers with hook shots. Since Jordan it’s meant super-athletic wing players that can create easy shots for themselves and their teammates.
That’s not Waiters in that picture, that’s Jeremy Pargo
And before Kj accuses someone else of “moving the goal posts inexorably towards his argument” here is the singular distinction that needs to be made.
ACTUAL VS POTENTIAL.
If we IGNORE the potential completely and focus only on the actual, then we are focusing on the present. If we ignore or distort what is actually happening, then we are not responding to analysis. David Thorpe (who DOES overrate his own workout guys) was not writing a redraft or ranking potential. He was ranking now. Right now, Dion Waiters is shooting 37% from the field. If he brings it up to 45 and someone says “he’s getting better”, it’s pretty obvious that, yeah, he’s getting better from 37%. It’s gotta be more than two or three shots in one game that gives us the leverage to say “OMG LOOK HOW AMAZING HE IS NOW.” What I say is “OMG LOOK WHAT HE COULD DO REGULARLY IF HE REACHES HIS POTENTIAL” That’s a huge if.
lol @ mat. How did no one notice Mallory’s negative subliminal messages!?
What you want out of your rookie guard
1. Awesome athletic ability – Check
2. Shows ability to shoot well from the outside – Check, but needs to work on his consistency.
3. Shows the ability to get to the rim – Check
4. Has good ball handling skills – Check
5. Doesn’t turn the ball over – Check
Things to fix
1. Finish better at the rim – This should be very easy for someone as seemingly creative and athletic as Waiters
2. Shoot better from the outside – Also easy as long as you have decent shooting form. It only takes time
I guess I don’t find it alarming that his shooting percentage is low. Most NBA guards improve their shooting percentages as they play you know, more than 15 games.
I think that focusing on a low shooting percentage for a rookie NBA guard 15 games in is pretty short sighted. Not quite as short sighted as signing Derek Fisher would have been, but close.
Mat, you figured me out. I’ve been subliminally forcing Dion to become Pargo*(edited). No wonder he stinks! Mwahahahaha
You know what, Jason Kidd’s PER is north of 21 right now. Obviously we should try to work out a deal with to trade Waiters for him since, you know, he’s performing better right now. I’ll bet if you tried to rank guards Kidd would be at least 20 spots higher than Waiters right now. So clearly, in conclusion, and judging by what everyone on this blog is obviously advocating for, let’s just trade Waiters already. I know Mallory wants that, I’m convinced that there is no distinction between actual production and future potential. Let’s do it.
Cols714, EVERY NBA wing has the following, or appears to out of college:
1. Awesome athletic ability – Check
2. Shows ability to shoot well from the outside – Check, but needs to work on his consistency.
3. Shows the ability to get to the rim – Check
4. Has good ball handling skills – Check
5. Doesn’t turn the ball over – Check
What Tom is saying is that it is the refinements that they make, and the ability to be that bit better, to take good shots at the right time, that separates the plethora of mediocre wings that haunt NBA locker teams from the Dwyane Wades, Kobe Bryants, Derrick Roses, Kyrie Irvings, etc.
On athleticism, just look at Kyrie – he isn’t like D-Rose in the sense that his athleticism jumps out at you, but not only is he a genius at getting to the rim, he also manages to finish in ways that hide the ball from the blockers and defenders. That’s something Dion needs to work on instead of jacking up mid-range jumpers.
You have to stop taking this stuff personally. CtB is talking about Dion *now* and also his potential. Those are two separate things, and unless his coach makes him improve, he will never live up to the grand future that Kj seems to see for him.