Camden wrote:I know this doesn't mean anything yet... But I can't help how much I'm loving LaVine so far. Check out this Instagram post with the caption: "Home". Gotta enjoy that.
http://instagram.com/p/rFzf0wkDAz/
I can read a little Chinese after spending 3 years in Shanghai, and I think chen_wu's comment says "Man, are you ever lucky your team is getting rid of that loser Love". Wow, that's even harsher than me!
When I playfully asked LaVine what a potential nickname jersey of his would say, he immediately responded, "'No way,' For no way you could guard me." Another option he mentioned was "Bounce Avenue."
When I playfully asked LaVine what a potential nickname jersey of his would say, he immediately responded, "'No way,' For no way you could guard me." Another option he mentioned was "Bounce Avenue."
You really gotta love this kid's confidence. If we hadn't seen him play well in SL, it might sound like false bravado, but he looks like he can back it up. I'm not sure I can remember the last T-Wolf that had this kind of brash confidence. There's no question in my mind that his personality will jive much better with Flip than it would have with Adelman. It's going to be fun to watch him develop
I like LaVine's potential, I really do. But let's not call his Summer League a resounding success. He didn't shoot the ball particularly well and for a guy so athletic and quick, he certainly doesn't seem to get into the lane much, instead preferring difficult pull-up jumpers.
Let's hope the focus and determination that comes out in these articles is the real deal.
Camden wrote:I didn't see "resounding success" anywhere in this thread except for when you just used it.
Right, nobody literally used those words, but folks continue to refer to his summer league play as if it were a resounding success. He looked better than how he actually performed.
Camden wrote:I didn't see "resounding success" anywhere in this thread except for when you just used it.
Right, nobody literally used those words, but folks continue to refer to his summer league play as if it were a resounding success. He looked better than how he actually performed.
I think people were expecting to see a super athlete with no instincts on the court, which is essentially all he was hyped up to be, but they saw a guy that has more tools than advertised. I was mostly impressed with his ability to find teammates consistently. He didn't have many oppoturnities to run the offense at UCLA (other than the Oregon game) so when people saw that he had the potential to do just that, excitement grew. Personally, I think UCLA messed up in how they used him, and we're going to benefit from it.
Let's hope UCLA messed up. It's hard for me to criticize Flip for the pick - I like what appears to be an intelligent gamble. But LaVine has some clear weaknesses that will need to be worked out in order for him to become good, much less great.
Lavine will be fine in my view. 3 skills I look at in super athletic guys coming into the league is
1. If they can handle the ball
2. Can they pass the ball and make plays for others and
3. If they can shoot the ball.
Most of the times, the super athletic types either cant shoot or cant handle the ball. If they can do 2 out of 3 then the likelyhood of becoming a good to very good player is high. These types are natural runners and jumpers and have the tools to be a good defender. But if you give them ball handling,playmaking and jump shooting ability then they are going to be really good.
Size wise, lavine is 6'6, the ideal height of a sg and big for a pg. He seems to have a nice attitude and no charcter issues or baggage with him. He would be fine in my view.
LaVine putting in the time to improve his strength as well. Have to respect this kid's work ethic if nothing else. Seems like he wants to be great. That much is clear to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QNeIeF3-iA
