Now who would you rather have?

[CampNightmare8]

Can we compare his 1st year stats to Ibaka's?

Yup Bismack's rookie year was better than Ibaka's by a little bit.

Bismack 5.2 ppg 5.8 RBS 1.8 BLK
Ibaka 6.3 ppg 5.4 RBS 1.3 BLK

[Catch 22]

Yup Bismack's rookie year was better than Ibaka's by a little bit.

Bismack 5.2 ppg 5.8 RBS 1.8 BLK
Ibaka 6.3 ppg 5.4 RBS 1.3 BLK

To be optimistic, that's something to hang our hats on

[Chef]

Yup Bismack's rookie year was better than Ibaka's by a little bit.

Bismack 5.2 ppg 5.8 RBS 1.8 BLK
Ibaka 6.3 ppg 5.4 RBS 1.3 BLK

wait a minute. i thought last year didn't count.

[CampNightmare8]

wait a minute. i thought last year didn't count.

I never said that, was somebody else.

[Mustachio]

Bismack is fine... and I do still maintain that last year isn't a fair way to judge his performance even though it would help my case. Last year counted and was great as it was for Kemba of getting them used to NBA life, but you can't project future ability off of it.

Last year was pick up basketball. Bismack a guy who had only known semi-organized basketball for about 4-5 years at the time... got better as the season went on. Mostly because he was able to go out there and do the few things his body type allows him to be great at. Rebound and block shots.

Now that we have a coach, and aren't just out there winging it... Bismack is showing signs of struggle. It's really to be expected. Bismack will be fine. He needs playing time and direct, constant coaching from Dunlap (so nooo D-league) What you are seeing now is a guy relatively new to basketball, still very fresh to the NBA, and now fresh to a more complicated and demanding form of defense than we've seen him in. He looked absolutely terrible against Washington on Tuesday and the few minutes he got on Wednesday he looked better but still a bit lost.

With such a raw product, you have to expect a little struggle when you essentially hit the reset button on him after a bizzaro shortened season.

[Chef]

Bismack is fine... and I do still maintain that last year isn't a fair way to judge his performance even though it would help my case. Last year counted and was great as it was for Kemba of getting them used to NBA life, but you can't project future ability off of it.

Last year was pick up basketball. Bismack a guy who had only known semi-organized basketball for about 4-5 years at the time... got better as the season went on. Mostly because he was able to go out there and do the few things his body type allows him to be great at. Rebound and block shots.

Now that we have a coach, and aren't just out there winging it... Bismack is showing signs of struggle. It's really to be expected. Bismack will be fine. He needs playing time and direct, constant coaching from Dunlap (so nooo D-league) What you are seeing now is a guy relatively new to basketball, still very fresh to the NBA, and now fresh to a more complicated and demanding form of defense than we've seen him in. He looked absolutely terrible against Washington on Tuesday and the few minutes he got on Wednesday he looked better but still a bit lost.

With such a raw product, you have to expect a little struggle when you essentially hit the reset button on him after a bizzaro shortened season.

solid post.

[spectre]

Bismack is fine... and I do still maintain that last year isn't a fair way to judge his performance even though it would help my case. Last year counted and was great as it was for Kemba of getting them used to NBA life, but you can't project future ability off of it.

Last year was pick up basketball. Bismack a guy who had only known semi-organized basketball for about 4-5 years at the time... got better as the season went on. Mostly because he was able to go out there and do the few things his body type allows him to be great at. Rebound and block shots.

Now that we have a coach, and aren't just out there winging it... Bismack is showing signs of struggle. It's really to be expected. Bismack will be fine. He needs playing time and direct, constant coaching from Dunlap (so nooo D-league) What you are seeing now is a guy relatively new to basketball, still very fresh to the NBA, and now fresh to a more complicated and demanding form of defense than we've seen him in. He looked absolutely terrible against Washington on Tuesday and the few minutes he got on Wednesday he looked better but still a bit lost.

With such a raw product, you have to expect a little struggle when you essentially hit the reset button on him after a bizzaro shortened season.

This is EXACTLY what I think as well. Good post Mustachio.

It amazes me how some ignore this. I've went round and round with some on Bonnell's blog and all I get is Monday morning QBing saying we should have took so-and-so. Thing is we KNEW he was raw and we KNEW it was going to take a good amount of time. We didn't blow a top 5 pick on the guy; in actuality we used the 19th pick and Livingston on him. Why in the hell would you take a role player when there's a good chance to get something that could turn out special.

I still have faith and even moreso with our coach.

[spectre]

wait a minute. i thought last year didn't count.

Only for Biz. The skill set he brought with him was made for street ball.

Smart ass.

[Chef]

This is EXACTLY what I think as well. Good post Mustachio.

It amazes me how some ignore this. I've went round and round with some on Bonnell's blog and all I get is Monday morning QBing saying we should have took so-and-so. Thing is we KNEW he was raw and we KNEW it was going to take a good amount of time. We didn't blow a top 5 pick on the guy; in actuality we used the 19th pick and Livingston on him. Why in the hell would you take a role player when there's a good chance to get something that could turn out special.

I still have faith and even moreso with our coach.

i love how at draft time everyone got so excited about the super raw freak big man but after 1 year and change 90% of the people are ready to cart him to the town limits as a failure. it is one thing to say super raw and another thing to wait 4 or so years to let the develop as painful as it often is.

same thing applies to people who were all for a rebuild/blow it up but then bitch and moan halfway through the first season because we suck.

[Stylesg1234]

I think we all can agree that the Kemba pick @ 9 was a very good pick and could end up being an absolute steal if he continues to improve and to play the way he has so far this year....as for Biz...when we drafted him i liked the pick...obviously i didnt know much about him ( and i dont think the front office did either ) but what i did know and the highlights i did see showed me a very raw and young kid who was not so much a basketball player but was a just freak athelete with the size / wingspan / quickness ect...to develop into a solid PF/C.....Going into last year i honestly didnt expect much of anything from Biz ...I looked at Biz as more of a project wo just needed to be coached and to have lots and lots of NBA practice ...as much as i love Silas he just wasnt the right guy to take on a project such as Biz and to teach him the game of basketball...Due to our below average roster last year and our injuries.. Biz got alot more playing time then i expected..and i will be honest...watching him for those 1st 20-30 games i was impressed at how fast he adapted to the defensive aspect of the game..i loved the way he hustled and how he gave 100% everytime....and he seemed to be a natural as a shot blocker...his offensive game was pretty much non existent..but i was impressed how he was able to get put backs and to get the occasional lay-up or dunk...he seemed to regress as the year went on ( which was odd to me ) but overall i thought he had an impressive rookie season...especially for being such a young / raw player who had only played the game for a cpl years ....Fast forward to this year...and it seems like the regression that Biz had to end the year last year has carried over to this year..no1 is pulling for Biz more then me...he was 1 of the main reasons that i was even able to watch the games last year ..But the guy has been in the league for a little over a year and he seems to be more lost now then he was in his 1st ever NBA game..Im confident that he wants to be better and that he puts in the work to be better...everything i have read or heard about him is that he is very coachable and works as hard if not harder then any1 at his game...but with summer league / preseason and thru 7 games i see no improvement from him....he looks worse thenb last year...i didnt expect him to all of a sudden have an offensive game and avg 15 a game..but i did expect a 6-8 point a game avg..with a handful of 10-20 point games sprinkled in..the reality is the guy has zero post moves..and prob the worst set of hands i have ever seen on any Pro basketball player...he is like a deer in the headlights when he gets the ball...he freezes and looks to have no clue what to do ..maybe this will improve with work and time and maybe not....but his offensive game isnt what bothers me..what really worries me is his rebounding and defensive game...im pretty sure that when we think of Biz in the long term we think of a defensive specialist and a guy who crashes the boards..something along the lines of a guy who can avg 7 points 10 rebounds and 2 blocks....the rebounding and shot blocking is what is going to keep Biz in the league long term...and thats what worries me about him this year...not only is his offensive game very sad to watch ..it seems like he has regressed on the defensive and rebounding end as well...we all know he has the skill set and size and heart to be a good rebounder and shot blocker...but for some reason its just not there...maybe its just me but the guy just doesnt look like an NBA player..i know its early in the year and im on his side and pulling for him...but as it stands today i am very worried about Biz..i think we have the right guy @ head coach to teach him and he is still very young...so i am hoping to see improvement this year and next year as well....but im afraid that this guy might be a bust and this rookie contract he has with the Cats might be his 1st and last NBA contract