Thabeet - What went wrong?

[Fez Hammersticks]

I watched a lot of Thabeet videos today (day off, TONS of time on my hands) and I noticed something that stood out -- At UCONN he had very solid footwork and his timing was great.

In the NBA his footwork is gone and his timing is as bad as I've seen from a 7-footer. Is he really this lazy? Maybe a one-year minimum contract this summer will wake him up.

[video=youtube;1LbRuYjd55I]

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Lack of performance equals lack of PT equals lack of confidence. Self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[PapaG]

He put up a 13 PER on only 11 USG% as a rookie. Not sure what happened to him, but he still has an NBA body, and it's not like he's a clod. Hell, he has a 12 PER for the Blazers. For some reason, Adelman and then McHale just buried the guy on the bench in Houston.

I think he's worth a longer look if the price is right next year.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I think he has a bright future as a dentist.

 

[PapaG]

I think he has a bright future as a dentist.

An equine dentist. He can open a practice with Oden, and their gigantic hands can clean large teeth.

John Elway can be their only human client.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

An equine dentist. He can open a practice with Oden, and their gigantic hands can clean large teeth.

John Elway can be their only human client.

Hahahahahahahaha!

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Or Gary Busey.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Or Hillary Swank.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Or your mom.

Zing!

 

[oldguy]

An equine dentist. He can open a practice with Oden, and their gigantic hands can clean large teeth.

John Elway can be their only human client.

Sounds like something Brian Bosworth would have said back in the day. Rep'd.

Go Blazers

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Or your mom.

Zing!

One more crack like that and I'll ban you to the Lakers forum.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I blame.....
















wait for it......

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Jlprk and I blame Boehner.

 

[Sinobas]

He looked good enough in college to go #2, but again, this is a highlight video. I'd only waste a roster spot on this stiff if we were desparate for a warm body...

 

[PapaG]

He looked good enough in college to go #2, but again, this is a highlight video. I'd only waste a roster spot on this stiff if we were desparate for a warm body...

Next year's team will be desperate for warm bodies...

 

[jlprk]

Jlprk and I blame Boehner.

Anyone named Boehner deserves to have his mouth yanked open by a 7-footer and his hands shoved down his throat.

 

[Denny Crane]

Thabeet was a low floor, high ceiling kind of draft pick. When he was drafted, he was a real project pick with huge upside. I thought it was Shawn Bradley part II.

I watched him play one game with the blazers when they first got him. He drew 4 fouls in 4 minutes, but the rest of his game actually looked decent to me. I don't see him as having the huge upside anymore, but given enough PT I do think he'd not be so foul prone and could stay in games and be a positive factor.

He reminds me of Omer Asik, but maybe he's actually a bit better than Asik. Watching Bulls games when Asik is in, you can literally hear Thibodeau screaming at the top of his lungs at Asik, telling him where to go on defense. Given that kind of coaching (e.g. put Thabeet on the Bulls), and I think he'd be viewed as people view Asik now - great defender given ~15 MPG in a reserve role. Asik is really bad on offense; my observation is Thabeet actually has some offensive game.

He's not Portland's blown #2 pick in the draft, so I wouldn't worry about where he was drafted at this point. Once he's off his rookie scale $5M deal, he should probably be paid what he's really worth.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

An equine dentist. He can open a practice with Oden, and their gigantic hands can clean large teeth.

John Elway can be their only human client.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

 

[blue32]

Most of those clips he was dunking over dudes that were like 6 foot. In the NBA everyone's taller and bigger. He's still a beanpole.

I think he could be okay, given time, but no where near his draft pick status.

 

[Ed O]

I never understood why Thabeet went so much higher than Hibbert had the year before. Thabeet played more minutes per game and he rebounded better, but Thabeet was younger (even though he stayed for four years) than Thabeet. Both are big BIG guys who played in the Big East.

**shrug**

Ed O.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I never understood why Thabeet went so much higher than Hibbert had the year before. Thabeet played more minutes per game and he rebounded better, but Thabeet was younger (even though he stayed for four years) than Thabeet. Both are big BIG guys who played in the Big East.

**shrug**

Ed O.

It's like you don't even try or care anymore.

 

[Ed O]

It's like you don't even try or care anymore.

Oops! Second "Thabeet" should be "Hibbert" in that sentence. I'm gearing up for a trip to Vegas and I'm a bit more distracted than normal (which is saying something!)

Ed O.