I don't know if anyone is watching this game but thought I start a thread. I think it's the most entertaining series up to this point, although the Miami/Toronto has been very entertaining.
I'm praying Wig progresses over the next couple years like Leonard had.
OKC/SA GDT
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TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]
- Posts: 2736
- Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:00 am
Re: OKC/SA GDT
Yeah, these two teams matchup pretty evenly. I expect it to go to 7 games.
One of Kawhi Leonard's draft comparison was Luc Mbah a Moute by NBADraft.net. See below. Had a shaky handle and wasn't a very good 3 point shooter in college. If only Wiggs hands were bigger....:
NBA Comparison: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute/ Gerald Wallace
Strengths: A hybrid forward with terrific length ... He has a high motor and plays the game with a lot of energy ... Spends majority of the time on the perimeter, but occasionally shows the ability to play with his back to the basket ... Uses an effective turnaround jumper inside when posting up ... An agile athlete, his strides are extremely long and he covers a lot of space when running the floor ... Shows improvement in majority of areas from freshman to sophomore seasons ... His shooting has improved and he has become a respectable threat from the outside ... Operating out of the triple threat, he combines a nice jab with a fairly quick and long first step to create separation ... He has a strong preference going to his pull-up jumper, and once he gets into a rhythm he can string a number makes together (his length and high release make it a difficult shot to contest) ... He is fairly comfortable handling the ball in the open court and is capable of pushing it out off the rebound when the situation calls for it ... Even with the improvements to his offensive game, he still continues to contribute heavily in the rebounding department ... His huge hangs, length, energy and great timing, allow him to snatch balls on both ends that are well outside of his rebounding area ... An extremely quick jumper, he is very good at tipping the ball and keeping it alive on the rim ... Has the instincts and shows potential in becoming a very solid defender ... His ability to get out in the passing lanes and also contest shots inside make him a very dangerous weapon on the defensive end ...
Weaknesses: Does not have one aspect offensively that stands out or which allows him to consistently score the ball ... With his size and frame, will almost certainly be a perimeter player at the next level, but he lacks the polish and skill necessary to consistently operate on the wing ... He does not have break down ability off the dribble and he is especially shaky handling the ball with his left hand ... His jumpshot (while definitely improved) is still very inconsistent ... The release comes high off his head and it is somewhat of a sling motion, which results in a fairly flat shot that goes all over the place ... At this level, he has a size advantage on almost a nightly basis, but he still chooses to take the majority of his shots from the outside ... Takes a high number of off balance shots, but does not show the ability to convert them at a good percentage ... He does not have a great touch around the basket, and unless he can get inside position on the defense, he struggles finishing when contested ... Not very disciplined defensively, he gambles far too often and leaves his team susceptible to giving up easy baskets ...
DraftExpress profile on Kawhi:The top ranked wing on our Big Board, Kawhi Leonard's stock is based primarily on his physical attributes, defensive abilities, and upside, so it's not a huge surprise that he doesn't fare very well from a purely statistical standpoint. His profile strongly indicates that he's destined to play a complimentary role in the NBA, at least in his first few seasons.
Leonard's 0.889 points per possession overall ranks third worst of the 17 wings we evaluated, and his adjusted field goal percentage of 46.3% ranks dead last, a strong illustration of his scoring woes. On the positive side, Leonard's overall turnover percentage of 11.8% ranks third best in the class, and he could actually even stand to improve at the next level when he's projected to have even less shot creation responsibility initially.
Another interesting note looking at Leonard's possessions is that only 13% of his possessions came in transition, which ranks him 13th overall in the group. Leonard played on one of the slowest-paced teams in college basketball, likely due to his team's mediocre guard play. For a player with his physical tools, this is less than ideal, and he could certainly see a spike in that regard at the next level, which should help his overall efficiency.
In the half-court, Leonard ranks seventh of all wings in the percentage of his possessions coming from isolations, at 15%. His .721 PPP on these possessions ranks 15th, indicating that he struggled to create shots effectively for himself last season. He was unable to get to the free throw line consistently (11.3%, 12th) for many of these same reasons, and did not finish around the basket at a high rate, where his 1.069 PPS ranked 13th.
If Leonard ever does develop into a more reliable isolation threat, improving his left hand should be among his top priorities, as despite seeing a near equal breakdown of drives in both directions (37 possessions going right, 35 going left), Leonard's efficiency going right (0.865 PPP) more than doubled his efficiency going left (0.429 PPP).
Leonard is not only an average ball-handler, but he also struggles to make shots consistently from beyond the arc. His 0.743 points per shots on jumpers ranks 16th of 17 in the class, where he shot an abysmal 31% from the field. His struggles extend both to his catch and shoot jumpers (32%) and pull-ups (28%).
While these numbers point out some glaring weaknesses, it's important to remember the different role Leonard is projected to play in the pros, and how most of the strengths in his scouting report (such as defense and rebounding) come in areas largely unquantifiable by statistics of this nature (at least reliably).
Analyzing the 2011 NBA Combine Measurements
May 21, 2011
With a wingspan some 9 inches longer than he is tall at 6-6, Leonard has one of the most unique physical profiles in this class. His hands, as expected, are absolutely gigantic, ranking him amongst 7'0 foot centers in terms of hand width and length. His 7-3 wingspan is amongst the largest ever for a player 6-6 or under. Leonard's 227-pound frame actually weights in heavier than many of the power forwards in this class, which only adds to sentiments that he'll be able to guard the power forward position for stretches at the next level.
One of Kawhi Leonard's draft comparison was Luc Mbah a Moute by NBADraft.net. See below. Had a shaky handle and wasn't a very good 3 point shooter in college. If only Wiggs hands were bigger....:
NBA Comparison: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute/ Gerald Wallace
Strengths: A hybrid forward with terrific length ... He has a high motor and plays the game with a lot of energy ... Spends majority of the time on the perimeter, but occasionally shows the ability to play with his back to the basket ... Uses an effective turnaround jumper inside when posting up ... An agile athlete, his strides are extremely long and he covers a lot of space when running the floor ... Shows improvement in majority of areas from freshman to sophomore seasons ... His shooting has improved and he has become a respectable threat from the outside ... Operating out of the triple threat, he combines a nice jab with a fairly quick and long first step to create separation ... He has a strong preference going to his pull-up jumper, and once he gets into a rhythm he can string a number makes together (his length and high release make it a difficult shot to contest) ... He is fairly comfortable handling the ball in the open court and is capable of pushing it out off the rebound when the situation calls for it ... Even with the improvements to his offensive game, he still continues to contribute heavily in the rebounding department ... His huge hangs, length, energy and great timing, allow him to snatch balls on both ends that are well outside of his rebounding area ... An extremely quick jumper, he is very good at tipping the ball and keeping it alive on the rim ... Has the instincts and shows potential in becoming a very solid defender ... His ability to get out in the passing lanes and also contest shots inside make him a very dangerous weapon on the defensive end ...
Weaknesses: Does not have one aspect offensively that stands out or which allows him to consistently score the ball ... With his size and frame, will almost certainly be a perimeter player at the next level, but he lacks the polish and skill necessary to consistently operate on the wing ... He does not have break down ability off the dribble and he is especially shaky handling the ball with his left hand ... His jumpshot (while definitely improved) is still very inconsistent ... The release comes high off his head and it is somewhat of a sling motion, which results in a fairly flat shot that goes all over the place ... At this level, he has a size advantage on almost a nightly basis, but he still chooses to take the majority of his shots from the outside ... Takes a high number of off balance shots, but does not show the ability to convert them at a good percentage ... He does not have a great touch around the basket, and unless he can get inside position on the defense, he struggles finishing when contested ... Not very disciplined defensively, he gambles far too often and leaves his team susceptible to giving up easy baskets ...
DraftExpress profile on Kawhi:The top ranked wing on our Big Board, Kawhi Leonard's stock is based primarily on his physical attributes, defensive abilities, and upside, so it's not a huge surprise that he doesn't fare very well from a purely statistical standpoint. His profile strongly indicates that he's destined to play a complimentary role in the NBA, at least in his first few seasons.
Leonard's 0.889 points per possession overall ranks third worst of the 17 wings we evaluated, and his adjusted field goal percentage of 46.3% ranks dead last, a strong illustration of his scoring woes. On the positive side, Leonard's overall turnover percentage of 11.8% ranks third best in the class, and he could actually even stand to improve at the next level when he's projected to have even less shot creation responsibility initially.
Another interesting note looking at Leonard's possessions is that only 13% of his possessions came in transition, which ranks him 13th overall in the group. Leonard played on one of the slowest-paced teams in college basketball, likely due to his team's mediocre guard play. For a player with his physical tools, this is less than ideal, and he could certainly see a spike in that regard at the next level, which should help his overall efficiency.
In the half-court, Leonard ranks seventh of all wings in the percentage of his possessions coming from isolations, at 15%. His .721 PPP on these possessions ranks 15th, indicating that he struggled to create shots effectively for himself last season. He was unable to get to the free throw line consistently (11.3%, 12th) for many of these same reasons, and did not finish around the basket at a high rate, where his 1.069 PPS ranked 13th.
If Leonard ever does develop into a more reliable isolation threat, improving his left hand should be among his top priorities, as despite seeing a near equal breakdown of drives in both directions (37 possessions going right, 35 going left), Leonard's efficiency going right (0.865 PPP) more than doubled his efficiency going left (0.429 PPP).
Leonard is not only an average ball-handler, but he also struggles to make shots consistently from beyond the arc. His 0.743 points per shots on jumpers ranks 16th of 17 in the class, where he shot an abysmal 31% from the field. His struggles extend both to his catch and shoot jumpers (32%) and pull-ups (28%).
While these numbers point out some glaring weaknesses, it's important to remember the different role Leonard is projected to play in the pros, and how most of the strengths in his scouting report (such as defense and rebounding) come in areas largely unquantifiable by statistics of this nature (at least reliably).
Analyzing the 2011 NBA Combine Measurements
May 21, 2011
With a wingspan some 9 inches longer than he is tall at 6-6, Leonard has one of the most unique physical profiles in this class. His hands, as expected, are absolutely gigantic, ranking him amongst 7'0 foot centers in terms of hand width and length. His 7-3 wingspan is amongst the largest ever for a player 6-6 or under. Leonard's 227-pound frame actually weights in heavier than many of the power forwards in this class, which only adds to sentiments that he'll be able to guard the power forward position for stretches at the next level.
Re: OKC/SA GDT
I'm pulling for the Thunder. I'm tired of the Spurs flopping and the way the officials coddle them. And the Thunder winning the series would be a nice gift the people of Oklahomo who've been suffering through a barrage of devastating tornados.
Re: OKC/SA GDT
Thanks for posting that. Pretty accurate scouting. Extremely good rebounder outside of his zone, and leads the break off a rebound well also. Hopefully Wiggins shows improvement in both areas over the next few years.
I love Danny Green when he get hot. He get that shot off so quick! I'm a Spurs BoBo though!
I love Danny Green when he get hot. He get that shot off so quick! I'm a Spurs BoBo though!
Re: OKC/SA GDT
Also hate the way every player on the Spurs complains about every call against them even when the foul is painfully obvious.
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TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]
- Posts: 2736
- Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:00 am
Re: OKC/SA GDT
Oklahomo? Probably a typo, but that gave me a chuckle.
Yeah I don't care too much either way. I just want it to be close. Although, I would prefer OKC wins enough so that Durant stays in OKC rather than tries to be part of a superteam that would be formed if he joined the Warriors or Spurs.
Yeah I don't care too much either way. I just want it to be close. Although, I would prefer OKC wins enough so that Durant stays in OKC rather than tries to be part of a superteam that would be formed if he joined the Warriors or Spurs.
Re: OKC/SA GDT
I can see that, especially Duncan. I actually like how Pop handles the refs. I kinda became a fan or gained a great appreciation over the last 5 years. I've never witnessed a team play as well as they did when beating the Heat in the Finals.
Re: OKC/SA GDT
Love the Sprewell commercial -- "success is failure that hasn't happened yet." :)
Re: OKC/SA GDT
Wow, gotta give OKC a ton of credit.
Re: OKC/SA GDT
How about that last play. The Spurs were whining that Westbrook traveled. The replay showed that he clearly did not. Whine, whine, whine. That's the Spurs.