DJ & his (Lack Of) Assists

[spectre]

I think it has to do with his role right now as outside of DJ and Radman we really have no scorers so me thinks LB has put DJ in a scoring role more than a playmaker.

If so that's a helluva trap to be placed in. The same was said about Felton when he first came here and then suddenly he wasn't a PG but a combo guard because he "likes to shoot!".

Just don't buy that tho...what I'm mainly pointing out is driving the ball and working the paint, and LB wants everyone to do that.

Felton said one of the hardest things he had to adjust to was the 24 second clock...maybe that's a factor here as well. Another is that he did what we're talking about in college and most just can't carry it over to the NBA. I'll point out that I don't think that's the case, but that jump for college players is a lot harder than most think.

[Slam]

Just don't buy that tho...what I'm mainly pointing out is driving the ball and working the paint, and LB wants everyone to do that.

I thought you were talking about his lack of assists?

But if you are talking about his ability to score: It's outstanding that he is SUCH a good shooter, but I don't want to see him just as that. He is amazing driving to the hole. He has a wicked handle, can explode to the rim, is very crafty and smart and can finish when he gets there.

He also has a wicked mid-range game and can pull up off of the dribble, step back, fade away and put up tear drops.

I don't think that his injury hampered his passing ability at all, but there is no doubt it effected his speed and abilty to change direction on the drive. Maybe he was being conservative because of that? He's a rook so he gets smoked on the drive with little protection from the refs so hopefully that will change as well given time?

Personally I would LOVE to see him average 6 fta's per game (not including T's). That would show that he is driving and getting the opposition to collapse on him creating open shots for others while getting the opposition into foul trouble. Plus, DJ is money from the line so it's pretty much 6 easy ppg.

Back to the assists though - I still maintain that he has a wonderful balance between being able to shoot/score the ball and get others involved.

He's a 21 year old kid with 62 NBA games under his belt averaging 11.9ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.4apg, .6spg on 43.7/44.6/89.4 shooting as a back up PG to a young starting PG.

All in all I think it's been a very impressive rookie season for him.

[spectre]

I thought you were talking about his lack of assists?

I am...specifically him getting into the paint, drawing defenders and passing to the bigs. His ability to score is pretty obvious and I doubt anyone has issue with that.

I don't think that his injury hampered his passing ability at all, but there is no doubt it effected his speed and abilty to change direction on the drive. Maybe he was being conservative because of that?

It could. He's not doing what I saw him do in Texas (granted a very small sample size) in regards to manipulating the defense in the paint, so the injury in his chest could be influencing his reluctance.

He's a rook so he gets smoked on the drive with little protection from the refs so hopefully that will change as well given time?

Are you talking about his defense now? I'm not quite sure why he's getting beat off the dribble so much, but regardless it's not all his fault; we SUCK at help D. Yeah, we might cover the guy driving but if he gets it up to the basket we almost always lose the board and it usually ends in a dunk.

Curry said post game that "everyone" knows our weakness in defending the drive.

I might even chalk that up to what I've been saying earlier about driving; he's worried about getting around the screen (or if there's going to be a screen) so he's losing focus on what the guy in front of him is going to do. Maybe that's related to his injury as well?

Not something I don't think he can't improve on tho. Felton should be a help on that. No doubt Bell will. He just needs work.

Personally I would LOVE to see him average 6 fta's per game (not including T's). That would show that he is driving and getting the opposition to collapse on him creating open shots for others while getting the opposition into foul trouble. Plus, DJ is money from the line so it's pretty much 6 easy ppg.

Oh no doubt...and he gets calls a lot of rookies don't. Big plus to already have that in his arsenal.

Back to the assists though - I still maintain that he has a wonderful balance between being able to shoot/score the ball and get others involved.

I think he can, but I don't think he's been showing the latter...and the lack of assists is kind of red flagging it. Again, I don't think that's a deficiency but "other" things.

He's a 21 year old kid with 62 NBA games under his belt averaging 11.9ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.4apg, .6spg on 43.7/44.6/89.4 shooting as a back up PG to a young starting PG.

All in all I think it's been a very impressive rookie season for him.

Yup, and because we have Felton there's no huge rush for him to get better overnight. Having both him and Bell (and Larry Brown) puts DJ in a very fine position going forward. He's going to learn the "right way".

[Slam]

Are you talking about his defense now?

I was actually referring to when he drives. Like most rooks, there has been times that he has driven the ball and been smashed by the D but hasn't got the call. I think that given a couple more seasons, maybe even next season, the refs will start to reward him more for attacking the rim and look after him a little more (at least I hope!!).

That said, he still gets his shot blocked too much though. He's better than that and I assume is still adjusting to the speed/length of NBA defenses?

I'm not quite sure why he's getting beat off the dribble so much

I have the theory! (like I do with everything!!).
I actually think he's an above average defender. He has very quick feet and shows great anticipation. He's also more than willing to step in and take a charge. I don't have as much of a problem with his pick and roll D as some. I think generally speaking he mixes up his under and over. It's our bigs help D on the pick that bothers me.

Here is where he falls down IMO.

One on one D. At the moment he's horrible at moving his hips. It's amost like he over commits going to one direction so that when the guy dribbling the ball crosses over/changes direction he can't counter quick enough. He needs to stay more square and not turn his shoulders. As soon as he turns his shoulders, his hips will turn and he's screwed. If it's just a matter of staying in front of someone or forcing them to one side he's great, as soon as they change direction he is left hung out to dry. GOT TO STAY MORE SQUARE AND SUFFLE. He tends to turn when he defends.

but regardless it's not all his fault; we SUCK at help D. Yeah, we might cover the guy driving but if he gets it up to the basket we almost always lose the board and it usually ends in a dunk.

The sooner our players go to basketball 101 and learn the box out, the better.

[spectre]

We'll agree to disagree on whether he's an above average defender...cuz you know I don't think that at all.

Again tho...every weakness I see I think can be worked/improved on.

Here is where he falls down IMO.

One on one D. At the moment he's horrible at moving his hips. It's almost like he over commits going to one direction so that when the guy dribbling the ball crosses over/changes direction he can't counter quick enough. He needs to stay more square and not turn his shoulders. As soon as he turns his shoulders, his hips will turn and he's screwed. If it's just a matter of staying in front of someone or forcing them to one side he's great, as soon as they change direction he is left hung out to dry. GOT TO STAY MORE SQUARE AND SUFFLE. He tends to turn when he defends.

That is an outstanding observation and could very well be the culprit! Man do I miss having the games on DVR, because that's the type of thing I can no longer judge.

In regards to calls in the future I wouldn't hold my breath until the team gets some respect by being a solid playoff contender. Unless you're a big name like Flash I think you'll always come out being pissed about the refs regardless.

The sooner our players go to basketball 101 and learn the box out, the better.

Therein lies the true crux of the matter...and I'm looking dead at Crash. It's not all his fault; he said himself that what he was most excited about LB was him teaching the fundamentals as he's never had a chance to learn that.

I'm hoping that LB can make some big strides with this same group and an off season to do it in. We're so bad now I have to think we'll see some significant progress.

[davcbow]

I'm hoping that LB can make some big strides with this same group and an off season to do it in. We're so bad now I have to think we'll see some significant progress.

I said at the beginning of the season that this was probably a 2-3 year plan to be a contender. We see what has taken place in just the first season, if we can do this again this off season and training camp, we should be at the least a #4-5 seed next season. Pick up a few key positions and we should be yrue contenders...

[dnbman]

If so that's a helluva trap to be placed in. The same was said about Felton when he first came here and then suddenly he wasn't a PG but a combo guard because he "likes to shoot!".

Exactly! People forget that Felton was considered a true pg in college, though one that could score with his speed. He was also a Cousy winner his junior and finalist his sophomore year.

I still think for the foreseeable future, Felton will be our rugged two-way point guard and DJ will be our Jason Terry, something the club needs to succeed.

Spectre has said pretty much everything I would have said. I just want to reiterate his point that DJ can be an outstanding guard who can create plays for others. I just don't think he was a pass first point guard like everybody was saying around draft time.

[Slam]

I just don't think he was a pass first point guard like everybody was saying around draft time.

It goes back to what I was asking earlier - what's a pass 1st pg?

As far as I am concerned there is only one pass 1st pg starting in the NBA at the moment - and that's Rondo and the only reason he is is because he is terrible at shooting and has the big three around him.

Nash, Paul, D.Will, Rose, Calderon, Kidd, Harris, Parker etc all score as much as they look to set others up. That's what makes them great, but it doesn't make them pass first. The difference is that when they shoot, they are shooting up around the 50% mark.

There are plenty of guys who are shoot first though. Guys like Gilbert, Terry, Crawford, Wade, Ellis, Mo, Nate, Davis, Bibby.

Personally I put DJ in the first bunch, not the latter and to be honest, I'm thankful. If DJ started shooting less it would be doing a major disservice to the team IMO.

[dnbman]

It goes back to what I was asking earlier - what's a pass 1st pg?

As far as I am concerned there is only one pass 1st pg starting in the NBA at the moment - and that's Rondo and the only reason he is is because he is terrible at shooting and has the big three around him.

Nash, Paul, D.Will, Rose, Calderon, Kidd, Harris, Parker etc all score as much as they look to set others up. That's what makes them great, but it doesn't make them pass first. The difference is that when they shoot, they are shooting up around the 50% mark.

There are plenty of guys who are shoot first though. Guys like Gilbert, Terry, Crawford, Wade, Ellis, Mo, Nate, Davis, Bibby.

Personally I put DJ in the first bunch, not the latter and to be honest, I'm thankful. If DJ started shooting less it would be doing a major disservice to the team IMO.

Again, I agree with Spectre (and, seemingly, you also!): there's really no such thing as a pass first pg. However, many people discuss the idea of a pass first pg as someone who looks to set up others before he looks for his own shot. I actually think Felton falls in this category until he becomes frustrated with how the offense is executing. (e.g. he'll have 6 assists in the first half and 4 shot attempts and then 1 assist in the second half and 10 shot attempts) DJ does not seem to fall in this category. He seems to often look for the first open look he gets. AD (After Durant), he appeared to look for his own offense first rather than other players. That doesn't mean he's not a good playmaker, selfish, or bad in anyway. However, using the definition that I think most people meant, I don't think DJ was that type of pure pg.

I think DJ's great; I don't feel bad at all anymore that we drafted him. However, I still see him as instant offense rather than a starting caliber point guard at this point in his career.

[Keetch]

Not to complicate this topic further, okay maybe to complicate it. If I recall, another catch phrase; and one that was often applied to DJ in last years draft, was "best pure Point Guard." There you go.... have fun.