So it turns out Thomas Robinson can play.

[Natebishop3]

What makes you think Pippen, Payton, and Hakeem are the best possible coaches? Hell, what makes you think they are even minimally competent coaches?

Those who can, do. Those who can't do anymore, can't necessarily teach.

barfo

They might not be, but I've heard good things about Hakeem, and I'm curious to see what Pip and GP could impart upon our young guys. I just think it's ridiculous that we spend so much money on the players, but that doesn't extend to the coaching staff.

 

[blue9]

West has a much more powerful game than many give him credit for since his personality is subdued. Listen to interviews of his opponents, they all talk about being banged and pushed. He is much stronger, and knows how to use his strength better, than his undersized frame would lead one to believe.

Kemp? Milsap I see some overlap, but Kemp? Wow, I just don't know where to go with that comp. I'll try to watch for it, but to me they seem damned near opposite.

With regards to West perhaps "explosiveness" should have been used in place of power/strength. West does (did?) a great job of leveraging his strength.
And like I said, the Kemp comp is a bit ridiculous. I really haven't seen much of Robinson (nobody has!), but there have been a few times where his ability to put the ball on the floor and use his agility and explosiveness to get all the way to the hoop remind me (only on the surface) of Kemp. I dunno...

 

[Natebishop3]

With regards to West perhaps "explosiveness" should have been used in place of power/strength. West does (did?) a great job of leveraging his strength.
And like I said, the Kemp comp is a bit ridiculous. I really haven't seen much of Robinson (nobody has!), but there have been a few times where his ability to put the ball on the floor and use his agility and explosiveness to get all the way to the hoop remind me (only on the surface) of Kemp. I dunno...

Blake Griffin is more of a Kemp.... or even LeBron. He was such a physical freak. One of the most athletic players in the history of the game. It's too bad he ended his career as a marshmallow.

 

[blue9]

It's too bad he ended his career as a marshmallow.

Round and covered in white powder...

 

[milehighblazer]

Well said. Repped.

TRob looks like he has a serious chip on his shoulder from last season, and every time he plays he wants to prove all his doubters wrong. It's his best friend and his worst enemy. That drive will make him better, but also is seriously holding him back because he's rushing and he's almost trying too hard so he makes bad decisions. He just needs to calm down, let the game come to him, and play his game.

Yep, I completely agree. It's such a double edged sword, but I think in the long run his tenacity will prove more useful than not. But right now, he's crazy emotional. When he got that dunk, he was acting like he'd just hit a buzzer beater in game 5 of the Finals. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when he went to the charity stripe he looked like someone had his whole family lined up to be executed if he didn't make the shots and once he missed a few it only got worse. His highs are too high, and his lows are miserably soaked in self-doubt, if he finds a good balance somewhere between "Maintain optimal energy" and "They're going to run over my dog with a steamroller" I think he'll become a nice feather in Olshey's cap.

 

[gatorpops]

He has good vision too. I've seen him make some really nice passes. I just think it all comes down to slowing down, taking his time, and letting the game come to him. I think he will get better with more PT and more coaching.

I concur. Although I did not see the game last night, I was following on NBA Play-by-play. He usually , in the other games I have seen, he rushes just a little.
We tend to compare him to LA as a developed player (all-star), as he comes in for LA. How many TO did LA have? I think they need to play him a little bit more than Freeland when offense is needed, like last night.

 

[Further]

With regards to West perhaps "explosiveness" should have been used in place of power/strength. West does (did?) a great job of leveraging his strength.
And like I said, the Kemp comp is a bit ridiculous. I really haven't seen much of Robinson (nobody has!), but there have been a few times where his ability to put the ball on the floor and use his agility and explosiveness to get all the way to the hoop remind me (only on the surface) of Kemp. I dunno...

This is going to be another weird comp, but what about birdman?

 

[Natebishop3]

Yep, I completely agree. It's such a double edged sword, but I think in the long run his tenacity will prove more useful than not. But right now, he's crazy emotional. When he got that dunk, he was acting like he'd just hit a buzzer beater in game 5 of the Finals. On the opposite end of the spectrum, when he went to the charity stripe he looked like someone had his whole family lined up to be executed if he didn't make the shots and once he missed a few it only got worse. His highs are too high, and his lows are miserably soaked in self-doubt, if he finds a good balance somewhere between "Maintain optimal energy" and "They're going to run over my dog with a steamroller" I think he'll become a nice feather in Olshey's cap.

Yeah, the interesting thing is that he actually has a decent shot. When his confidence is up, he can hit five or six shots in a row from 12 to 18 feet, and they look good. It's all confidence with him, and I think that can be fixed. He just needs some goto moves. I think having a clear idea of what he wants to do when he goes down the floor will do wonders for his confidence.

 

[Further]

Milehighblazer - welcome to the board, you bring knowledge and it's appreciated. Not all rooks have something interesting to say. I'm a vet here and I still just blabber like an imbecile. Nice to have you here.

 

[milehighblazer]

Milehighblazer - welcome to the board, you bring knowledge and it's appreciated. Not all rooks have something interesting to say. I'm a vet here and I still just blabber like an imbecile. Nice to have you here.

Thank you. I'm glad to be here and have some knowledgeable fans to talk with.

 

[KingSpeed]

Who knew a guy could score 15 points, grab 7 rebounds, and miss 26 free throws in 15 minutes? And I don't really think playing time will be an issue. LA could stand to play less minutes. I think it's good to play your starers less so they can play harder.

You made me laugh out loud. Thank you.

So what's the hold up then? I mean what do you think is holding him back from reaching his potential? I see flashes of what could be and it's impressive! I wonder if most of it is mental or something? I know he has rawness, but even raw players bring that intensity every night.

The difference last night was Aldridge got in quick foul trouble. When TRob went in, I called a breakout game for him because he was going into the game knowing he would be in there for the rest of the quarter. Knowing you're gonna stay on the floor for 8-9 minutes does a wonder for your game.
I called it and I was right.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Thank you. I'm glad to be here and have some knowledgeable fans to talk with.

You've got my vote for rookie of the year so far.

 

[Paxil]

So what's the hold up then? I mean what do you think is holding him back from reaching his potential? I see flashes of what could be and it's impressive! I wonder if most of it is mental or something? I know he has rawness, but even raw players bring that intensity every night.

Basketball is very much reflexes and instincts, and if you put to much thinking into it instead of just letting it happen, it can hurt your game.

 

[magnifier661]

Basketball is very much reflexes and instincts, and if you put to much thinking into it instead of just letting it happen, it can hurt your game.

Would you mind telling t rob that then? He needs to see the game as playground basketball. Talk some trash and dunk on some fools!

 

[Paxil]

Would you mind telling t rob that then? He needs to see the game as playground basketball. Talk some trash and dunk on some fools!

He is getting there... we saw some of that last game. The good thing is he has the talent, it is his mind that is getting in the way. The best plays I ever made on a basketball floor happened without me thinking whatsoever. Afterwards I thought... 'how the hell did I do that?'

The monster slam he had last game... classic no thinking about it basketball... the fumbling the ball away in the key trying to force a pass inside... overthinking it.

 

[magnifier661]

He is getting there... we saw some of that last game. The good thing is he has the talent, it is his mind that is getting in the way. The best plays I ever made on a basketball floor happened without me thinking whatsoever. Afterwards I thought... 'how the hell did I do that?'

The monster slam he had last game... classic no thinking about it basketball... the fumbling the ball away in the key trying to force a pass inside... overthinking it.

If we see a 6/6/1 t rob this season, it would be the steal of the summer! I think it could be possible. Maybe even a little more points too. He seems capable of scoring in bunches, being a point per minute type guy.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If we see a 6/6/1 t rob this season, it would be the steal of the summer! I think it could be possible. Maybe even a little more points too. He seems capable of scoring in bunches, being a point per minute type guy.

6/6/1 for a top five pick isn't anything to write home about. Don't get me wrong, I'd take it considering what we gave up to get him, but let's not pretend that those kind of numbers are going to have Houston or Sacramento kicking themselves.

 

[magnifier661]

6/6/1 for a top five pick isn't anything to write home about. Don't get me wrong, I'd take it considering what we gave up to get him, but let's not pretend that those kind of numbers are going to have Houston or Sacramento kicking themselves.

Those numbers aren't for the pick, it's for bench production. Obviously it's more on the quality of scoring then actual performance. It's gonna be hard for t rob to get anything more than 10 minutes a game playing behind Aldridge.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Those numbers aren't for the pick, it's for bench production. Obviously it's more on the quality of scoring then actual performance. It's gonna be hard for t rob to get anything more than 10 minutes a game playing behind Aldridge.

Mags, my only contention is with the over-the-top statement "steal of the Summer." 10 minutes per game and those numbers don't add up to that.