Melo on Kiyan.

[richmondcuse03]

Kiyan needs to play with more speed and decision making. He's not athletic enough for these slow iso plays.

agree. He played tentative. Almost afraid at times. Melo obviously saw the same.

 

[Brooky03]

They are both lead guards. Kiyan is not.

I don’t mind putting up an nba guy as to what someone should try to be, but those two are lead guards. Kiyan isn’t even a combo. He’s off ball/wing.

Not saying he can’t make a jump and be a really good player, but I think just because those guys are “skinny”, which isn’t really true, is a stretch.

It’s not just that they’re skinny. btw, Kiyan is very close to SGA’s size when SGA was a frosh and bigger than Haliburton. Obviously, they’re bigger now than he is.

Kiyan’s only shot at the next level is as a guard; he’s closer to that than he is an NBA wing. He’s probably never going to be a catch-and-shoot SG; he’ll need the ball in his hands to go to work. I think the comp, the way it was used, is totally fine. We’re reading way too much into it. He’s not going to be like, “hey, there’s this role player in the G League you guys haven’t heard of who I think Kiyan is just like!”

 

[Scooch]

Found these comments refreshing.

Same. I could listen to Melo talk ball all day.

For those that didn't watch, the SGA part of the convo was about Kiyan taking elements of beating defenders with small movements, not out-athleting them. It's clear that Melo knows who Kiyan is as a player.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Same. I could listen to Melo talk ball all day.

For those that didn't watch, the SGA part of the convo was about Kiyan taking elements of beating defenders with small movements, not out-athleting them. It's clear that Melo knows who Kiyan is as a player.

Precisely. His knowledge of the game is really awesome. And I have no doubt he'll be driving it into Kiyan's head all day all summer whenever he's not on campus with the team.

 

[upperdeck]

Melo said Kiyan needs to play faster, make decisions faster, learn to play better angles against players stronger than him and play better defense with more effort.

all true.