Nalod wrote:Sometimes young players have to learn that their athletic ability is not sustainable in the long NBA season and youth alone can’t keep you from getting hurt.
You are making this more insanely complicated than it actually needs to be here.
Dennis Smith Jr CANNOT play off the ball. Which is fine for any player who can dominate the ball and consistently overwhelm the other team offensively. This is pretty rare and hard to do. James Harden can play off the ball. But he doesn't do it. If he was totally incapable of doing it for the sake of example, he'd still be a valuable NBA player. Smith Jr cannot do this. He is not bringing enough offensively to compensate for his inability to play any other way.
Two issues come from this
1) He doesn't know how yet. He's still a young player and this might simply be something he can change because he's still in his prime developmental window. This is possible but really unlikely. He played this way in college, his decision making ( as mentioned before) is actually pretty ****ty, he's always had a ****ty attitude and one of the few coaches known to be able to fix anyone gave up on him. If Carlisle can't fix you, you are sort of ****ed.
2) He's incapable but no one can confirm until he's outside his prime developmental window. Some guys just can't do certain thing. In that case, those guys have to hope their tradeoffs fit into some kind of role for a team. Most of the time, that doesn't happen.
I suppose this is an area I can understand why most civilians tend to get fuzzy about regarding pro athletes.
There's life stupid and then there's sports stupid. You can be life smart but sports stupid. It's hard for just about everyone out there, including guys who make it to the pros, to process thing at game speed. Insanely hard. The elite guys look EFFORTLESS. Because their TIMING, TECHNIQUE and FUNDAMENTALS are TOTALLY FLAWLESS. They are processing the environment around them at or above actual game speed. Rex Ryan, aka Sexy Rexy is sort of life stupid. Players love playing for him because he's straight up and he's genuine. But you need to be sort of life smart to be a head coach ( you are managing people and managing their expectations) He is however sports smart in a way that is borderline genius. He can dissect game play in REAL TIME. Many guys need to slow it down on film over and over. Sexy Rexy can do it on the fly. That's just incredibly ****ing hard.
Todd Van Poppel was a big time pitching prospect for the dynasty Oakland A's. He was life smart. But sports stupid. Put the ball and play and he'd find a way to **** it all up.
The first example is how one pathway has one set so overwhelming that you can find a role ( Rexy can be a D Coordinator anywhere) The 2nd is how it just does not work and the player is basically ****ed.
DSJr comes off as life stupid and sports stupid. You are asking someone to make better decisions when it's evident he is a ****ty decision maker. He's on the Knicks right now instead of a future quasi-contender in Dallas, because he made ****ty decisions.
You are saying he needs to be smarter. But based on what makes you believe that **** is going to happen?
If you can't dominate, you better learn to play off the ****ing ball. If you CAN'T because you are INCAPABLE, then you are ****ed.
Many here are looking at DSJr and thinking he could still be a star. I'm saying dip**** needs to learn how to play a role first. Benching himself in Dallas was idiotic. He left a stable franchise and an elite developmental coach and a decent but insane egomaniac owner for a rocky team gutted with a questionable coach and a ****heel owner.
DENNIS SMITH JR NEEDS TO PLAY OFF THE BALL EFFECTIVELY.
Things he can do to help himself. Work on his three point shot relentlessly. Beg Drew Hanlon to help him no matter what. Give 150 percent effort on defense all the time. Work with his coaches to game plan specific looks that highlight his strengths and shade his limitations. ( Basically accept he's not a feature guy but a guy who needs to work within a role) This would be a series of GOOD DECISIONS. Anyone think this is gonna happen though given what he's shown?
You don't pass on Ja Morant ( I don't even like Morant that much) to hope DSJr completely turns it all around.
3/22/2019 8:09 AM