<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jun 26 2008, 10:16 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Voodoo Child @ Jun 25 2008, 05:34 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pegs @ Jun 25 2008, 03:07 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>That could change if Julius Hodge comes in and outdoes Ager.</div>
Yeah, or if he's outplayed by a Nets' second round draft pick, right?
I don't see why everyone always values the new names over the old ones at this time of year. It's funny how on draft night people post about how they'd like to have a player on their roster for "two or three years down the road," and then when those two or three years pass, they're talking about drafting a second rounder to replace that guy on the bench.
Ager's one of the most polished scorers in his age group. He can score from long-range, can drive to the rim and draw contact because of his explosiveness, and he's an excellent finisher in transition. He's also got the long arms and lateral quickness to be a decent defender.
All of Ager's problems earlier in his career were mental. He had one of the hugest egos of any player in his draft class. I remember during his senior year, even though he was playing with two other NBA players, he'd always call his own number on offense, struggle off-the-ball, and drift in and out of the game mentally. You'd have to think that two years of no more than 6 mpg and change would have changed his perspective and helped mature his game though. I'm all for him playing a more significant role next season. He's only had the chance to play 58 career games in two seasons, and most of that time was spent in a ridiculously stacked wing rotation in Dallas.
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Wow, Spartan Splooge
By being outplayed by a second rounder, you must mean like Daniel Gibson outplaying Shannon Brown
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Oh man, don't even get me started on Shannon. That whole deal is the biggest reason I'm so disenchanted with the NBA at the moment. The funny thing is that I could explain the lack of playing time in Cleveland (Gibson being a role player fitting Cleveland's need of a sharpshooter who could hit down the open jumper when LeBron's doubled down on, Mike Brown not getting along with Shannon, etc.), but when he got traded to Chicago, I was away at school and never got to keep up to date on the situation, so I really don't know what excuses to use for his lack of minutes as a Bull. I will say this though; he was incredibly productive in the stretches where he did get the chance to play in Cleveland.
As for Maurice though, I liked him in his first three years at Michigan State, but like Drew Neitzel this season, he was a completely different player as a senior. He was selfish, took defensive possessions off, and didn't move on offense if the ball wasn't in his hands. Like I said though, being two years into the league and not receiving any playing time yet, you'd think he'd be humbled a bit. I'm not saying the guy is anything special, but he'd definitely be a great scoring punch in a 10-15 mpg role off the bench (ala Damien Wilkins), and the Nets wouldn't lose any ground defensively with him on the floor.
