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SkyWalker
Posts: 20468
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 12/1/2004
Member: #814
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Draftcity has the Knicks taking him at the end of the 1st round. This what they say:
The first thing you notice about Mickaël Gelabale is his great athleticism and his smooth movements. The guy can jump out of the gym and he’s quite fast. Combine this with a 6-8 body and a very good wingspan, and we can start talking about some very nice physical potential for him in the wing.
But Gelabale is more than his athleticism and his long body, he’s a player with skills that are already good enough to be very valuable to any team, particularly his shooting and his defense, and with the potential to develop other abilities nicely as well.
The consistency he shows with his jumpshot is quite remarkable. He’s usually money in the bank when he’s open up to 18-19 feet. He can also nail the three-pointer with fairly good accuracy, but he still hasn’t fully mastered it. He shows nice mechanics and he’s fairly quick on the release, which is also pretty high thanks to his vertical. Therefore, he doesn’t even need to be fully open to make it. His shot is mainly static, although he can make it off the dribble too. It’s not the usual pattern, though. He’s a player who tries to minimize risks and make as few mistakes as possible. So he never forces shots unless it’s necessary.
He’s a decent slasher too, and he can become quite a good one. His first step is nothing out of this world, but he has handles, athleticism and the footwork to fill the bill. Like it happens with his shooting, he doesn’t take too many chances, so it’s not the most usual thing to see him try and penetrate. He waits for a good option, finds the opening, and takes advantage of it. He likes to run the floor a lot, and he has already finished this season some spectacular alley-oops in transition.
On defense, he’s hard to beat, really hard if a screen isn’t used. He has very good lateral defensive speed and his long arms are a nightmare for the opponents. His defense is not really very aggressive, but his intensity is constant and he’s usually focused. He has the tools to become a very good rebounder, and he can make some nasty blocks if needed, but he rarely risks his defensive position for a rejection.
Gelabale shows decent basketball IQ. He seems comfortable on the court, he knows the game. Concerning his character, he shows a good attitude, being very serious on the floor, always focused, always willing to work, always thinking first about the team. Because that’s what the Frenchman is, a team player.
Kenny SkyWalker
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4/4/2005 10:04 AM
