Bismack performance

[kjk2241]

I know it's too early to tell after 2 games and 1 preseason but I would like to talk about the Bismack difference. He hasn't gotten a lot of playing time and that is to be expected with the late start for him and how raw he is, but I really liked what I saw from him against the Heat.

The Alexis effect kind of had me a little worried about Biyombo. We had another athletic big who we were high on just to realize that there was nothing there.

Even this early you can tell the difference. The little time he plays he gets the rebounds and always blocks at least two shots and alters others. He can get a little to aggressive and seems to just fly around which will cause his foul totals to skyrocket but he plays with a desire to not let anything near him get to the rim.

I really liked his reaction after he blocked Bosh and then Bosh got it back and he fouled him. Bismack was obviously upset at himself for not doing more. I was actually hoping that Bismack would have played more in the 4th because he really does a great job on the defensive side.

Do you think he would have been a better option to have on the last defensive possession than D White? Maybe altering a last second shot or would it be too risky that he might pick up a cheap foul or not block out his guy when he's leaving to help?

[Plowright]

Yer DJ White was the safe option, I get the feeling Bismack would have either done something really good. Or lost his man/foul him or do something else really stupid. The big difference i see between him and "he who shall not be named" is their attitudes. Bismack wants to be the best, and will settle for nothing more. You can see how much he wants to learn, also Biz is a hustle/rebounder. "he who shall not be named" was a finnesse big

[anton273]

Tonight will be fun for him going against Dwight!

[JohnnyTimmons]

Bismack is going to be a legit defensive bigman who will look something like an average year offensively for Thomas, but with more rebounds and blocks and less perimeter shots..... at best. Here is hoping he achieves that. Im also hoping with steady minutes thomas can become a top ten powerforward by making good shot choices to go along with that defense, because he will never be a post presence offenaively. I think he should model himself in the gasol, nowitski, garnett, and staudemire mold but only try post shots if open or at the high spot. He will be effective if he can do that to accompany his defense.

[Chef]

i am watching extremely closely. right now i am a little worried. the good thing is he is doing ok when he is in and not fouling and he has absolutely no idea how to play basketball offensively or defensively. i will be very worried if he looks the same by the end of the season.

athletically though....whoa boy. what a freak.

[JGib23]

I thought he looked really good tonight and guarded Dwight better than anyone else. I can't believe Silas didn't let him play out the 4th quarter when it was obvious we didn't have shot at winning. ( same for Kemba's time tonight.)

[Toocool]

I liked how he did nicely defending Howard.
Definately got called for fouls, but that's a given.
Think it was invaluable experience for him to battle with Howard in the post, but yeah like JGib said would have liked to see him out there more.
Although he hit Glen Davis in the head, thought his jump hook was rather nice and fluid.

[SWedd523]

At least two of the fouls were bull, and I'm not one to harp on officiating.

[adam187]

i agree, foul calls were weak.

i liked the aggression biz showed after he got called for one of the fouls. loved the passion. and i cannot believe silas played diop 20 minutes, especially throughout the 4th instead of letting bismack practice against the best.

[Plowright]

I don't understand everyones dissapointment? We always said he would average something like 2p 4rb 2 bl a game this year. He has soo much to learn, but remember he wasnt in training camp either so he is way behind. He is almost averaging that already, jeeze give this guy a break.

[Ghost Kat]

I have no idea why we still play Diaw at center. Let Bizzy B play

[WarioVsMooChicken]

All our other bigs looked like they dreaded playing against Howard. Bismack looked eager and determined.

Just from that, I like what I saw.

[MadBOBCATfanUK]

Just a thought but if Bismack developed say a sky hook or a baby hook shot which he exhibited against Orlando with his wing span he could be unstoppable. On the defensive side he's a freak just needs to get accustomed to Charlotte's system

[Toocool]

I really like Stephen Silas.
Every time BB sat down from foul trouble or came outta the game Stephen was talking to him, teaching and encouraging.

[Mustachio]

All our other bigs looked like they dreaded playing against Howard. Bismack looked eager and determined.

Just from that, I like what I saw.

totally agree, the whole team played scared of Howard cept Bismack. I know he got into some foul trouble ( i hate crying about the refs, but EVERY TIME its 2 sets of rules!) but there was no excuse to not play kemba and bis in the final minutes of that game... it was a blowout, they should be getting those minutes. We gave Larry Brown hell for not playing rookies, but Silas isn't exactly letting them learn on the job either.

[BETCATS]

I really don't understand why we didnt leave him in Spain for the remainder of his contract, or at least this year. Yes he looks like he is ready to get down and dirty. But at the same time, he does not know how to play NBA level defense yet. The high amount of fouls he gets in such a short amount of time reflect this.

At least send him to the D-League at this point. I know we are rebuilding, but we would be so much better served giving Mullens all his minutes while he learns how to play NBA style basketball in a less competitive environment with less pressure for results. Honestly, if Silas works with Mullens on his rebounding, I would much rather have him as our starting center for at least the next few years.

[Bobcatter]

I completely agree with giving Biyombo the minutes and experience when the game is, practically, already in our lost column.

[GoBobs]

He reminds me a lot of a young Theo Ratlif. I don't see a lot of natural flow to his game. That can be overcome if he is a smart player. At times he looks a little clumsy out there like a young deer still learning how to work his legs. He almost ran into matt carroll in an clumsy way when they were both chasing a rebound. I think he has the tools to be a difference maker but it is going to take him a few years to get there. Right now he is a lot more project then solid bench player.

[Ghost Kat]

He reminds me a lot of a young Theo Ratlif.

With some predicting Kemba to be Iverson 2.0, Bizzy B as a young athletic Theo....

I could live with that. Theo and Tyrus worked well together protecting the rim.

[TheBeagle]

I thought he looked really good tonight and guarded Dwight better than anyone else. I can't believe Silas didn't let him play out the 4th quarter when it was obvious we didn't have shot at winning. ( same for Kemba's time tonight.) Agree totally. That's two games in a row where Paul didn't give Biz the minutes he deserved based on the quality of his play. He was the best defender against Bosh, and yet he wasn't out there down the stretch; likewise his tenacious battle with Dwight down low, and yet Diop gets more burn?

As a guy who's never been afraid to play youngins, I'm not sure what Paul's thinking is with his minute allocations with Kemba and Biz.

As for overall performance, Biz has exceeded my expectations through 3 games. I was slightly worried when Larry Sanders flushed on him and sent him to the floor, and he was a little to jump happy for Bosh's shot fakes, but otherwise he's been so much fun to watch. His desire is palpable. Love him!

[skratch]

I think he needs to work on his footwork, when i first saw him in person against the bucks he looked like he was sliding all over the place ready to foul everyone

[dnbman]

We've really got to temper expectations for these guys, especially Smack. The guy is obviously raw. I just want to see him stay very aggressive and slowly learn the NBA game. What I don't want is for us to try and reinvent the guy, destroying his confidence and twisting his brain in the process. He's still very young and underdeveloped. We knew that when we drafted him. Let him go out there and get his five or six fouls and get used to NBA basketball. Build him up as he goes.

[Toocool]

In what little I caught of today's slaughter verse the Heat, thought he did nicely. Showed that little hook shot he's been doing in practice which hit, which is far more than anything TC has done.
Think the minutes he got out there vs the Heat were really beneficial, he can do nothing but learn when he's on the court.

[SJackson1]

he his going to get alot of blocks in his career, he already has a few this season and ive been impressed with his rebounding aswell

[dav7z]

We've really got to temper expectations for these guys, especially Smack. The guy is obviously raw. I just want to see him stay very aggressive and slowly learn the NBA game. What I don't want is for us to try and reinvent the guy, destroying his confidence and twisting his brain in the process. He's still very young and underdeveloped. We knew that when we drafted him. Let him go out there and get his five or six fouls and get used to NBA basketball. Build him up as he goes.
You right and i fell into the hype to much. But as of right now hes a real good on the ball defender . Has a lot to learn as far as help defence and rotations. He shows good and bad flashes whitch is to be expected . 20 mins per should be a number Salis needs to shoot for on a nightly basis. With some of that time playing with starters . And the center position .

[Plowright]

The key thing is his good flashes cannot be taught. Where his bad flashes can be fixed. That is why his ceiling is so high

[SWedd523]

You right and i fell into the hype to much. But as of right now hes a real good on the ball defender . Has a lot to learn as far as help defence and rotations. He shows good and bad flashes whitch is to be expected . 20 mins per should be a number Salis needs to shoot for on a nightly basis. With some of that time playing with starters . And the center position .

I was waiting on you dav! ;)


I'm glad people are starting to temper their expectations a bit for the young fella. 6/6/2 is fantastic for him as a rookie so if he can keep that up, we should all be very excited.

[dav7z]

I was waiting on you dav! ;)


I'm glad people are starting to temper their expectations a bit for the young fella. 6/6/2 is fantastic for him as a rookie so if he can keep that up, we should all be very excited.
So you was thinking i was expecting a little to much . Just a little .... LOL

[Ghost Kat]

Bizzy B just needs to calm down. I love his energy, but he has the pump the breaks

[Boomer]

If Smack really is his listed age, then I'm excited. He could be a power forward version who is a hybrid of Dwight Howard and Mutombo.

[QC Thundercats]

I'm real excited about the Biz and his double fisted hammer blocks! I don't really expect him to develop into a game changing superstar PF, but I do see a Ben Wallace type (with a better offensive game) who can definitely change one side of the game.

One thing that had me excited was his D on Howard. Most times, Dwight just backs his way into the paint with ease, getting close enough to emasculate all victims in the vicinity. But when he tried to back the Biz down, he didn't budge - at all. To have that veteran NBA strength as a rookie is ridiculous to me, but he stood Dwight up, and affected all his shots. I think someone at training camp mentioned that he was "man strong", so having veterans bring up how strong someone is is saying a lot

Now I will say, with all of Biz' energy and eagerness, he unfortunately will be on a ton of posters and top 10 highlights - its just the nature of the business. Zo and Mutombo were two of the best of all time, but their mentality of blocking everything at all costs put them on the receiving end of some facials that Jenna Jamison would blush at.

As for his offense, I don't ever expect much more than 10-11 a night. If you don't have good offensive skills by the time you make the league, you're never going to become a solid scorer, no matter how much you work at it. There's just an innate ability, an understanding of how to put the ball in the hole, and players either have it or don't. At lower levels, pure athletes can get away with less skill by using their raw athletic ability to dominate inferior opponents. But in the NBA, everyone is a monster athlete, and you need to have the skills to even get a shot off, much less to make it with extreme pressure. Players generally won't become good scorers without having a solid skill set to build upon in the first place. If he can perhaps develop a mid range shot, and get his hook shot down along with a counter move, maybe I can see around 15 per game at his peak. But that just seems very optimistic to me at this point.

But I look forward to watching him progress, and watching his long arms of the law destroy everything that comes near our goal!

[Sik Infant]

Biz is already roleplayer solid imo, we have nothing to lose by giving him 20mins a game at least.

Silas' rotations have had me scratching my head at times, Biyombo & Kemba should be playing more.

Biyombo was one of our top three players in the blowout against the Heat.

[Bobcatter]

I really like the Ben Wallace with a better offensive game comparison. Given Smack's basketball history, I can just see him improving at a much faster pace than most rookies. Let's just hope he gets way better at the free throw line.

[BBQNut]

I'm real excited about the Biz and his double fisted hammer blocks! I don't really expect him to develop into a game changing superstar PF, but I do see a Ben Wallace type (with a better offensive game) who can definitely change one side of the game.

One thing that had me excited was his D on Howard. Most times, Dwight just backs his way into the paint with ease, getting close enough to emasculate all victims in the vicinity. But when he tried to back the Biz down, he didn't budge - at all. To have that veteran NBA strength as a rookie is ridiculous to me, but he stood Dwight up, and affected all his shots. I think someone at training camp mentioned that he was "man strong", so having veterans bring up how strong someone is is saying a lot

Now I will say, with all of Biz' energy and eagerness, he unfortunately will be on a ton of posters and top 10 highlights - its just the nature of the business. Zo and Mutombo were two of the best of all time, but their mentality of blocking everything at all costs put them on the receiving end of some facials that Jenna Jamison would blush at.

As for his offense, I don't ever expect much more than 10-11 a night. If you don't have good offensive skills by the time you make the league, you're never going to become a solid scorer, no matter how much you work at it. There's just an innate ability, an understanding of how to put the ball in the hole, and players either have it or don't. At lower levels, pure athletes can get away with less skill by using their raw athletic ability to dominate inferior opponents. But in the NBA, everyone is a monster athlete, and you need to have the skills to even get a shot off, much less to make it with extreme pressure. Players generally won't become good scorers without having a solid skill set to build upon in the first place. If he can perhaps develop a mid range shot, and get his hook shot down along with a counter move, maybe I can see around 15 per game at his peak. But that just seems very optimistic to me at this point.

But I look forward to watching him progress, and watching his long arms of the law destroy everything that comes near our goal!



This is a very good point. I will be watching you.

[Ghost Kat]

I only saw the second half of the Cavs game. But I did watch the second unit ( Bizzy B, Kemba, UPS, Mullins maybe Hendo ) cut the lead to 9. Then Bizzy B went out Diaw came in and on the first play Diaw's man out ran him down court for a fast break dunk. Bizzy while in changed three or more shots and got a steal, couple rebounds and was very active. I really like his potential. I'll live with a limited post up game for now. Damn you Tyrus Thomas for getting paid then staying hurt, by the way.

[Mustachio]

I'm real excited about the Biz and his double fisted hammer blocks! I don't really expect him to develop into a game changing superstar PF, but I do see a Ben Wallace type (with a better offensive game) who can definitely change one side of the game.

One thing that had me excited was his D on Howard. Most times, Dwight just backs his way into the paint with ease, getting close enough to emasculate all victims in the vicinity. But when he tried to back the Biz down, he didn't budge - at all. To have that veteran NBA strength as a rookie is ridiculous to me, but he stood Dwight up, and affected all his shots. I think someone at training camp mentioned that he was "man strong", so having veterans bring up how strong someone is is saying a lot

Now I will say, with all of Biz' energy and eagerness, he unfortunately will be on a ton of posters and top 10 highlights - its just the nature of the business. Zo and Mutombo were two of the best of all time, but their mentality of blocking everything at all costs put them on the receiving end of some facials that Jenna Jamison would blush at.

As for his offense, I don't ever expect much more than 10-11 a night. If you don't have good offensive skills by the time you make the league, you're never going to become a solid scorer, no matter how much you work at it. There's just an innate ability, an understanding of how to put the ball in the hole, and players either have it or don't. At lower levels, pure athletes can get away with less skill by using their raw athletic ability to dominate inferior opponents. But in the NBA, everyone is a monster athlete, and you need to have the skills to even get a shot off, much less to make it with extreme pressure. Players generally won't become good scorers without having a solid skill set to build upon in the first place. If he can perhaps develop a mid range shot, and get his hook shot down along with a counter move, maybe I can see around 15 per game at his peak. But that just seems very optimistic to me at this point.

But I look forward to watching him progress, and watching his long arms of the law destroy everything that comes near our goal!

This would normally be true for a guy that grew up in America and went through our system since childhood. But dude only started dedicating himself to basketball like 4 years ago. He is very much so in the formative years of his life and basketball career. Thats what makes him so intriguing to me. He has a chance to be whatever he wants to be. His offensive game has gotten hands down better, albeit in small incriments, even since I've started paying attention to him. I think he can grow even more.

[CatNation1]

pretty sure that block on Shump was clean, as were a few others that Biz keeps gettin called on this season. He just needs to build his rep up and eventually refs will swallow their whistles

[spectre]

Honestly I can't see how anyone wouldn't be excited about the small amounts we've seen of Smack this year so far...esp. considering how supposedly woeful he was offensively according to the talking heads.

Personally I'm ecstatic.

[Sik Infant]

Honestly I can't see how anyone wouldn't be excited about the small amounts we've seen of Smack this year so far...esp. considering how supposedly woeful he was offensively according to the talking heads.

Personally I'm ecstatic.


Count me in on that boat too Spectre, he uses both hands in the post & has a nifty little hook.

Silas needs to play him more & I can't understand for the life of me why he only played 4mins against the Knicks when we were up double figures for nearly the entire second half.

The journalists & scouts had it wrong imo, it was an assumption his offense is woeful because he is so nasty defensively.

[Boomer]

Yeah, why did he only play 4 mins last night? His offense is still very bad but I think he can improve.

[Ghost Kat]

I predict when given enough playing time, Bizzy B could easily break Emeka record for 10 blocks in a game. I remember that game, it was against the Knicks. Biz needs more PT. I cant understand why Silas leaves him on the bench

[DY_nasty]

I predict when given enough playing time, Bizzy B could easily break Emeka record for 10 blocks in a game. I remember that game, it was against the Knicks. Biz needs more PT. I cant understand why Silas leaves him on the benchI do, he's out of control and when he does try and play smart he doesn't move at the same time.

Right before he got benched in the Knicks game, he literally just stood still as Amare took Mullens to the rim, watched as Amare got his own board, then watched again as he went up for the eventual score. Biyombo just stood there, not sure if he should help or leak out for the fastbreak. That kind of stuff probably rubs Silas the wrong way since he's a lot tougher on the bigs than anyone else. Biyombo didn't touch the court after that.

He is getting better with every game though. Just wish he'd rebound. I think thats the only thing keeping him on the bench. His lack of awareness on the boards.

[Ghost Kat]

Better than what Diaw does on defense

[DY_nasty]

Better than what Diaw does on defense
I hate Diaw too. You know I do. But Diaw isn't going to foul every other possession and....

*sigh* stop making me defend Diaw. I feel dirty when I do.

[Marvel]

What? Foul trouble isn't keeping Biz on the bench, offense is. Yeah he had 5 fouls guarding Dwight as a rookie, who wouldn't.
I feel a frontcourt of Smack at PF and Mullens at C should be worth trying it out.

[DY_nasty]

What? Foul trouble isn't keeping Biz on the bench, offense is. Yeah he had 5 fouls guarding Dwight as a rookie, who wouldn't.
I feel a frontcourt of Smack at PF and Mullens at C should be worth trying it out.
The point I was trying to make before defending Diaw made me sick to my stomach was that Biyomgno can't come down the court twice in a row without doing something stupid. I'm sure Silas feels one Tyrus is enough - his old heart can't take it.

[Marvel]

The point I was trying to make before defending Diaw made me sick to my stomach was that Biyomgno can't come down the court twice in a row without doing something stupid. I'm sure Silas feels one Tyrus is enough - his old heart can't take it.

Stupid as in learning from his rookie mstakes or stupid as in hustling? The only stupid play i've seen from Smack is that fumble he made when DJ made a bullet pass to him under the basket vs the Hawks. He's nowhere near as stupid as Tyrus either, come on dude you know better than that.

[DY_nasty]

Stupid as in learning from his rookie mstakes or stupid as in hustling? The only stupid play i've seen from Smack is that fumble he made when DJ made a bullet pass to him under the basket vs the Hawks. He's nowhere near as stupid as Tyrus either, come on dude you know better than that.
I'm watching the Hawks game right now. Opening up the 2nd quarter he makes a great block, then turns the ball over at the rim (lost the ball going up) when Kemba hit him on following break. Immediately after, changes another shot - misses point blank at the rim after another great pass.

I'd like him to get more minutes too, but I'd rather the kid learn from his mistakes by sitting down with a bad taste in his mouth from a recent mistake then playing through it and thinking that type of stuff is okay OR going out there and putting too much on himself and collapsing mentally.

[Marvel]

It's nerves for him, the only way to break through is to give him minutes.

[cltblkhscoach]

Minutes yes, but as a coach the lack of practice time is an absolute killer especially for rookies, a raw rookie at that. I can't name enough times where I've seen a kid have the light bulb go off in practice, and then it translates over to the game when the lights come on. It might be late this season or early next before the light goes off for Bismack, but when it does it's going to be an explosion because you can see the athletic ability and the kid wants it so bad, kind of like the anti-Tyrus lol.

[DY_nasty]

Minutes yes, but as a coach the lack of practice time is an absolute killer especially for rookies, a raw rookie at that. I can't name enough times where I've seen a kid have the light bulb go off in practice, and then it translates over to the game when the lights come on. It might be late this season or early next before the light goes off for Bismack, but when it does it's going to be an explosion because you can see the athletic ability and the kid wants it so bad, kind of like the anti-Tyrus lol.I really can't be too upset with how Silas has managed his minutes. Yeah, he's not getting the 20 a game that I'd like, but its nowhere near as bad as how Henderson was being treated. Some rookies get benched and literally have no idea why they're riding pine. I can't see that as the case here. I'd like him to see more time on the floor, but I really can't complain too much.

So far Silas has got a lot more out of people than most. He's got UPS looking better than ever, Mullens came in extremely confident, he had Kwame looking like he belonged in the NBA last year, has Gerald Henderson believing in his offense as well. I may disagree with the man's playcalls and rotations, but he's done a good job getting people to play to their potential.

[Ghost Kat]

*sigh* stop making me defend Diaw. I feel dirty when I do.

I laugh every time you say that.

[Woodsy23]

This guy is what this season's all about for me would like to see him getting more minutes but just gotta trust Silas on this one. hope he's managed well and not the next Alexis ajinca.

[CatNation1]

Kemba had a couple assists to Biz tonight I believe, one being Bizs first dunk of his NBA career! Hope they can keep it up

[CatNation1]

oops double posted

[Bobcatter]

This guy is what this season's all about for me would like to see him getting more minutes but just gotta trust Silas on this one. hope he's managed well and not the next Alexis ajinca.

I know, my eyes are pretty much glued to Biyombo when he's on the floor.

To put him in comparison with a similar player, Serge Ibaka averaged 1.3 blocks in 18.1 minutes his rookie year (at 20 years old and more experience prior to crossing the Atlantic & a far longer training camp). Biyombo, so far, is averaging 1.4 blocks in only 12.7 minutes (at 19 years old). Their rookie rebound rates are about the same per minute, but Ibaka did have a higher point percentage. Still so early in this season, though.

[Ghost Kat]

Bizzy B needs to play more. As always Diaw needs to play less. Paul Silas line ups are helping with plan "Season Tank"

[ND22]

Didn't catch the Indiana game but looking from the box score...4 rebounds in 12 minutes is pretty good.

His problem seems to be wanting to do too much every time he touches the ball. Every time he is fed in the post, he makes up his mind that he HAS to do something with it, when sometimes the best play is to pass it back out.

I love his energy, but he is still putting it all together, which is to be expected.

[CatNation1]

One thing I've really liked is that for the most part he's really avoided the foul problem we thought he'd all have. Some of the ones he has gotten were pretty bad calls too. Sometimes on defense he just kinda stands there while someone like Mullens is getting destroyed in a post up without helping or even preparing to box out. Nothing some teaching in the film room won't fix