Zach Lavine Career Path

[Coolbreeze44]

Credit Q for the idea on this poll

[Coolbreeze44]

I'm betting star.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I'll go full homer and say star. Think he wants to be great and has a terrific work ethic. Pair that with his unteachable physical setup and youth. Yep, I like.

[TheGrey08]

I'm betting star as well so for me that's All-Star+. Physical talent, work ethic, has shown ability to make plays, can shoot, etc. There's a lot to work with. He mostly needs the game to slow down and to get physically stronger.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

In between is the easy answer because it contains the broadest range of possibilities.

It would be pretty unprecedented for a guy to be that mediocre in college and as an NBA rookie to turn into an NBA star, so that seems like a long shot to me. I don't think he'll bust either, especially once Flip puts him in his proper position.

Gerald Green, Jamaal Crawford, Jason Terry, Ben Gordon....something along those lines.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I voted "in between". As I posted earlier today in the Robson thread, Zach has exceeded my expectations this year by a lot, even though his numbers have not been good. I think a guy with his unbelievable athletic ability and above average basketball skills will be able to carve out a career for himself in the NBA, but I don't think he will be a star. Offensively, Zach ranked near the bottom of the league by almost every measure, and although I'm aware of the defensive stat that Lip cites (holding his man to 25% scoring in college), my observation of Zach's defense this year has been far short of that. In addition, I'm not convinced that Zach will ever possess the maturity necessary to be a star. I recognize he's only 19, but something in his character tells me he will always be a little immature, and I also don't sense that he is very smart.

But there are so many things I like about him, so I think he will be a decent NBA player. His athleticism is off the charts, He's a better shooter than I would have anticipated watching him in college. By all reports, he's a hard-working gym rat (although obviously a lot of his time in the gym is focused on creating spectacular dunks rather than things he will actually use in a game). And he also seems to have the kind of resilience that allows him to maintain his confidence, even when things aren't going well.

But frankly, I see his best comp as Gerald Green...and that's not bad. I think Zach will continue to be a slow developer, like Green was, and be a backup SG until at least his mid-20s, But I think he has the potential to have the light bulb come on as he matures, and could become a serviceable starting SG in the league. That's where I see him plateauing...as either a serviceable starter, or a solid reserve. Certainly far from a bust, but also not an All Star. In other words, not a bad outcome for the 13th pick in a draft.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Great minds thinking alike, q...I can't come up with a better comp than Green, and I would be satisfied with that. I see his ceiling as much higher than Green though if he can properly channel that incredible athleticism.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Yes, I think Green and Crawford make sense not just in terms of athleticism/body type, but also in terms of the unbridled freedom they get from their coaches. Those two guys basically have a green light to shoot it whenever the hell and however the hell they want. I think Zach probably needs license to just go out and shoot, attack, and make plays. He's clearly not a PG or "system" player. I'm also not sure he'll ever fill out enough to guard starting-caliber wings, so a prominent bench scorer role seems like his most likely path.

[Porckchop]

He's so young, his body hasn't caught up to his athleticism yet if that makes any sense. A full summer to dedicate himself to putting on some muscle will make him so much more explosive. I think the mental aspect of the game will be the only thing that can hold him back.
He has shown the ability to get to the rim at will, with a Lil more strength he'll be that much harder to guard.. Green and Crawford don't show the willingness to dribble drive. They're spot up shooters.

[TheGrey08]

Still amazes me how negative/short sighted some can be regarding Lavine. Some act like he's been crap all year. Stats are not everything especially with a 19 year old playing out of position. Interestingly enough, he's been playing really well of late (all things considered) and that's even at PG.

Most of us have very much disliked Flip playing him so much at PG, but I'm starting to think Flip is a lot smarter than all of us about this situation b/c it's starting to pay dividends on the court even as a rookie. Playing PG allows Lavine to learn both guard spots unlike if he was always playing SG.