Projecting Christmas (Rakeem that is)

[Dmcnabbrules]

Looks good now after getting chewed out.

 

[kirbivore]

Paul is an example of staying too long. If left after his first year he would have been drafted on potential alone. He would have probably been a bust but he would had made a couple of million on the way there.

That's why the NBA sucks. Players have to leave early enough to "trick" the NBA into paying them. It was worse when the let the HS kids into the draft.

 

[OHIORANGES]

Looks good now after getting chewed out.

Agree. After the time-out he turned it on. Has all the talent, needs to have the desire/fire.

 

[mark79]

I saw a flash of "ill will" in his game last night that I have never seen before. I saw MCW whisper to him and a few seconds later it led to an MCW to Rak alley oop slam. He played pretty darn hard and well last night. Scored and blocked a lot of shots. Maybe a few footsteps from Jerami will light a fire.

 

[rrlbees]

Tough to compare kids who play different positions. Brown was a 3, Roberts a 4 and Rak a 5.

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[OttoMets]

Tough to compare kids who play different positions. Brown was a 3, Roberts a 4 and Rak a 5.

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Brown played the 3 a bit during his sophomore and junior years and played the 4 exclusively in 2000-2001. If that time starting at the 3 alongside Blackwell (and moving to the 4 when Shumpert came in) counts as being a 3, then Rakeem's experience over these past two seasons (starting at one position and often moving to another) has been at the 4.

 

[rrlbees]

Brown played the 3 a bit during his sophomore and junior years and played the 4 exclusively in 2000-2001. If that time starting at the 3 alongside Blackwell (and moving to the 4 when Shumpert came in) counts as being a 3, then Rakeem's experience over these past two seasons (starting at one position and often moving to another) has been at the 4.

Brwon was a 3. He played the 4 only due to lack of any other good option. Rak is a 5 and his skills dictate that. It is his best position as the 3 was Browns best position.

 

[KevMonstah]

Rakeem's tough to figure. He is all low post at this moment, but at 6'9", 240, I don't think that's going to get him a good career in the NBA. One hopes he can develop PF skills, like a little bit of ballhandling, a shot from 15' or so, and some passing skills. Defensively, I'd like to see him much more aggressively rebounding and block shots. But I don't know if he's going to stay long enough to develop. His size would at least get him a look - there's plenty of PFs his size in the NBA - but they aren't stars, unless they have some other skills, or rebound like Kevin Love / Anderson Varejao.

Kev

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

Is his body language/demeanor on the court terrible...or is that just me trying to read too much into something? He seems to get caught off guard a lot out there... where a guy like Keita is always ready, hands up...active.

 

[PhatOrange]

It's probably too early to start calling Christmas an enigma but it is strange to watch a guy with so much athleticism and such an impressive frame look so lost for long stretches of games. That said, it's early in his career.

It's early in his career and in my opinion he just looks like a passive kid - he's not a type I. The day he realizes that he can be the best player on the court by always playing aggressively and having that type of attitude he'll dominate.