I wasn’t excited about the Plumlee-signing but he’s been solid too.
Aside from Hayes being so-so thus far, our other two 1st round picks have worked their way into being good rotation players. Bey is hitting a red-hot 48% from 3 on five attempts per game, while playing tough D (save the error doubling off of Jaylen Brown late last night) and Stewart is really bringing good energy and rebounding.
They’ve had a lead in the 4th quarter of every game but one yet only have one win to show for it. Last night’s 2-point loss may not have happened if Casey had put Sekou (who was having his best game of the early-season) or Stewart in for Blake on D. Blake just hasn’t looked 100% of even his 2018-self yet and never was that great on the defensive end. Tatum torched him for the game-winner.
There may be some tough decisions ahead for Casey. I think most of the fan base would prefer to lose the close ones with our young players on the floor and learning how to play in crunch time but Casey isn’t thinking that way just yet.
Regardless of wins and losses, this team is quite a bit of fun to watch. They all play hard and there’s some talent out there.
Yeah, I’ve liked what I’ve seen. Think Hayes will figure it out. He’s 19 and had no summer league or training camp. He can get to his spots, the rest will come in time.
Grant, Stewart, Bey and Jackson are all quality additions that can be part of a strong defensive team. Plumlee plays hard, sets good picks and can pass well.
When Blake and Okafor aren’t on the court, they are a fun team to watch.
I think Joe was hamstrung by Karen Davidson’s mandate not to make a move so she can sell the franchise. His draft track record has been pretty damn good. He has unearthed gems like Okur, Delfino, Middleton, etc.
He was lazy and didn’t report on time on a consistent basis. It wasn’t until he got to Memphis that he cleaned up his act and became a contributor off the bench.
Hayes lacks the athleticism to be a high end PG. He’s an okay but not good athlete but having Hayes should not preclude Weaver from taking Cade Cunningham or Jalen Suggs. Both offers higher upside and are elite talents.
From what I heard those issues continued at Memphis. I know an assistant coach and a video assistant and they hinted that those issues still persisted in Memphis. First one to leave practice and last one to show up. Wasn’t super willing to build relationships with teammates either. Wasn’t a bad teammate but wasn’t a great one. They both said he was immensely talented though.
Talent has never been a question. His production has been pretty good and he has been enough of a threat at 3 pt that it needed to be respected. I wonder if Weaver will flip him to contenders for assets since he’s 6’8" with elite athleticism and good enough shooting at 3.
I thought he was going to struggle to score in the NBA and that his college game was based more on physicality and effort than skill, but he looks more skilled than that now.
His film back in high school was pretty ridiculous. I remember thinking he was going to be a perennial all star. He played so hard and with an attitude.
I’m a Suns fan and was stoked when they took him, although he let me down at Kansas a bit.
Yeah, agree with what has been said here repeatedly - Jackson had a miserable rep in terms of work ethic. People like to paint pro athletes as lazy or uncaring but the fact is guys with no work ethic never stick.
Welp. Hayes will be out for a bit. I did a quick google search. If he needs surgery, it’s up to a 6 month recovery time. If he doesn’t need surgery, less than that.
Obviously had his struggles, but his passing and vision was very good IMO considering he is new to the league, had no summer league and minimal training camp and the rest of the team is pretty bad.
That was my biggest concern with Hayes is his lack of athleticism. It’s okay but not great. He’ll need to work on his ball handles especially his right so he can be more creative at gaining separation. I never brought into Hayes pre-draft hype and the draft is extremely weak overall especially at top.
Like I said, Hayes should not preclude Weaver from taking Cade Cunningham or Jalen Suggs at top 5 if they’re there. When you have a chance at drafting elite talent, you have to take him. The good thing about Hayes is he can play off the ball so it would work for the Pistons if that were to happen
Anyone who thought Hayes at 19 yrs old would thrive his 1st year in the league has not been paying attention to the NBA. Look at Markal Fultz and D’ Angelo Russell and this is what you should expect. Both are just now trying to come into there own in the league. I like Hayes size/length. He needs a true training camp and off season working on his spot up three. He can pretty much get anywhere on the court with his handle. Just needs to adjust to the talent in the league.
I think all his issues have been related to adjusting to competition and not having a legitimate preseason. I don’t think anybody had expectations of him ever being an All-NBA type player. I would absolutely take Cunningham or Suggs next draft. I am more than fine with Hayes leading the second unit long term. He’d be awesome as 6th man and playing 25-30 mpg depending on the matchup. Wouldn’t consider that a disappointment in the least bit.
That said, this hurts his development. He needs games and now he probably won’t get more til next season.