SOUND THE ALARMS!!!

[Lipoli390]

Abe - I agree with your assessment of where we're at. I just hope you're right about where we're going. Nice post. And it's OK to be wrong, although I can't say I know what that feels like. :)

Q - I think the rap on LaVine's IQ has been way overstated. I even remember someone comparing him to Gerald Green. Unlike Green and others Zach has been compared to, Zach actually has a nice feel for the game. And unlike McCants and some others, Zach is a highly competitive gym rat who loves the game and constantly works to improve his game. Zach has looked bad at times because of his inexperience (little playing time in only 1 year of college when drafted), not because of a low basketball IQ. And his lack of experience has been magnified by being thrust into the PG position - the game's toughest position and a position he didn't play in college). I'm not surprised by how well he's played starting the last month of last season. I continue to see him as a future all-star caliber player and potential star although I recognize he still has a long way to go.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Lip, I agree that from a character/attitude perspective, it's not fair to put Zach in the same camp of McCants or even JR Smith for that matter. Zach does not seem to have the knucklehead syndrome, thankfully.

However, I disagree about him having a good feel for the game. It shows up in all the little nuances that we talk about here and not in the box score. Here are some examples:

1. Zach constantly mis-uses high ball screens by taking them too quickly. The big never has a chance to set a good screen because Zach has already dribbled by him. One shouldn't just be learning this at 20 years old. This is stuff you learn as a 13 year old.

2. On dribble drives to the hoop, he often shows the ball as he rises for the dunk or layup, therefore getting it poked out of his hands.

3. He still has a tendency to pick up his dribble before knowing what he's going to do with the ball. That's guard-play 101. Don't pick up your dribble!

4. Defensively, he is very slow to react to change of direction moves, such as cross overs. He often reacts late and then over-commits in the wrong direction. So while he has world-class physical quickness, his mind-body connection seems slow at times.

These are just a few examples and one might find them to be very nit-picky. But it's often the difference between an instant-offense gunslinger and a very good all-around starting guard. This stuff adds up.

The question is can he improve in these things? I certainly hope so, but he's got a ways to go still.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Yeah, there's some truth in what both Q and Lip are saying about Zach. Q provided a great list of flaws in Zach's game that we have all seen, but Lip's point about Zach's limited experience is also true...UCLA turned out to be a terrible choice for him because he wasn't given much of a chance to develop there. Some of the things Q lists are innate, but I also think some of them can be taught. The Wolves' coaching staff has to do what UCLA's staff did not do, and spend a lot of time with Zach on these flaws. His big improvement this year over last tells me they are doing this, and we are going to see continued improvement from Zach.

I don't know if it's basketball IQ or IQ in general, but I sense that Zach just isn't very smart. I remember watching him on TV with a friend after he committed to UCLA...my friend looked at me and said "Wow, I hope he can play, but he doesn't seem very smart". Maybe it's just his unusual speaking style, but he doesn't come across to me as being the sharpest knife in the drawer. That may be a challenge for our coaching staff in teaching him some of the basic things Q lists that he still doesn't get. In the end, though, I think repetition and his enormous talent will win out, and he will be a terrific basketball player. Zach isn't KAT though in any way...in contrast, he's a guy that we are going to have to be much more patient with.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I still don't think LaVine is solid with the subtle nuances of the game. Or, even some of the more basic ones. But he's so young. I don't see him as a crafty type of player, but then again, with that athleticism... he doesn't have to be. Throw the ball out there, let him play and take the good with the bad. I think that's what we can expect from LaVine.

And just for the record, a guy can be really dumb in real life and still be incredibly smart on the court.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

That's actually an interesting question. Perhaps some folks who are really smart on the court and really dumb in real life are actually innately very smart people, but simply by dint of their background and upbringing, lack book smarts and generally accepted social norms.

Larry Bird had incredible basketball IQ, but came across as a dumb hick. I actually think he was a really smart person, but his upbringing was quite challenging to say the least.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Good observation about Larry Bird, Q...I thought he was one of the dumbest hicks I had ever heard when he was at Indiana State, but now I see him as an astute basketball mind. There may be some of that in Zach too. And maybe some of that in a certain country southern coach we all know. Certainly someone's speaking style impacts our impression of their intelligence.

Pretty sure Zach has never used the word "dint"...

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Nice report Abe. You've talked me off the ledge too. We all know now Ricky is the worst shooter of all time, but if he's able to rack up high assist numbers by getting these young athletes up and down the court faster and creating high percentage dunks, then I wanna watch more.

Bring in a coach who's gonna fun and gun. Best defense is a good offense. Ask Golden State.

Anyone else confused by renowned optimist Abe's new role of "ledge talker offer"?

[AbeVigodaLive]

Good observation about Larry Bird, Q...I thought he was one of the dumbest hicks I had ever heard when he was at Indiana State, but now I see him as an astute basketball mind. There may be some of that in Zach too. And maybe some of that in a certain country southern coach we all know. Certainly someone's speaking style impacts our impression of their intelligence.

Pretty sure Zach has never used the word "dint"...

Maybe. But you could see Bird's on-court savvy (smarts) every single time he was on the court. I'm not seeing anything close to that level of astute basketball mind from LaVine.

Then again, with his athleticism, he hasn't had to play like Bird.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Good observation about Larry Bird, Q...I thought he was one of the dumbest hicks I had ever heard when he was at Indiana State, but now I see him as an astute basketball mind. There may be some of that in Zach too. And maybe some of that in a certain country southern coach we all know. Certainly someone's speaking style impacts our impression of their intelligence.

Pretty sure Zach has never used the word "dint"...

But here's the problem....Larry Bird's play on the court belied the perception that he was a dumb hick. Zach's play on the court actually re-inforces the perception that he might be kind of dumb in real life too. So I'm not sure our little social studies analysis here bodes well for Zach!

[AbeVigodaLive]

Nice report Abe. You've talked me off the ledge too. We all know now Ricky is the worst shooter of all time, but if he's able to rack up high assist numbers by getting these young athletes up and down the court faster and creating high percentage dunks, then I wanna watch more.

Bring in a coach who's gonna fun and gun. Best defense is a good offense. Ask Golden State.

Anyone else confused by renowned optimist Abe's new role of "ledge talker offer"?

It's a bit odd, but there was so much doom and gloom lately, I think we needed a dose of reality thread.

Pessimism... optimism... I try to be realistic and pragmatic with every take. For the better part of 26 years, that's meant talking about a lot of negative stuff. There's still a ton of negative stuff, but at least, we can see the light ahead.

Whether the team ever gets to that light... that's unknown.