and the same exact writer 'speculated' only yesterday that this rumor "should be taken with a grain of salt" gotta sell ads...
for a surprise everyone already knows about? my mom still has to read a paper and tries to tell be about all the articles and sales to justify it one of the things that kind of drives me batshit crazy at times
http://www.insidesocal.com/lakers/2...urray-details-julius-randles-emerging-jumper/ 32%, but just 8-25 from the 3pt line this year so far, will hopefully double his final total next year and perhaps double it again the year after next. If he can hit around 50 three pointers at a decent 33-35% clip by his 3rd year, there's the development as a shooter, defenders will have to respect the shot and step out more often, creating better spacing. Should be looking for something similar from Simmons ( hopefully with us obviously) If Randle could qualify for rookie of the year this year he'd be right in that conversation with Okafor, especially with this stretch since returning to the starting lineup - FG% is up around 49%, FT% is @ 77%
Randle hitting 3's isn't required though of course it improves spacing. If he can become solid at the 15-18' range that's plenty of outside shooting for someone his size.
Consistency from 15-18 feet would definitely be welcomed, but the league doesn't value long 2pt shots the way it used to. I'll take that either one, but he's pretty dynamic as a ball handler, so I don't view him as guy that's just a " big ". For where I think he can go, development in the area of creating his own shot from 15-22 feet is pretty important and right now he's more comfortable doing that than he is at just catching and shooting and keeping the ball moving. Gotta be able to just catch it and shoot it at times and not be a guy who stops the ball and starts dribbling every time he touches it. That's where hitting the 22 footer from the corner somewhat comes into play, could bring a ton to the team if he could eventually become a guy like Bosh that can set up and hit the short corner 3 pointer or at least be a respectable presence there and help spacing/matchups
yeah except hitting 3's isn't what 'big's' are trained to do. however I did like a lot of his other moves closer to the basket... waaaaaay more fluid than ole rusted Hibberts
I don't view Randle as your typical " big ", don't think he should be viewed that way. If you're pigeonholing him as that then I see your point, but I feel he can be more. Hibbert is 7'2" tho. Randle has size, but of course nothing like that, he's a shade under 6'8" without shoes. Randle has all the tools to be an Antoine Walker/Odom type even though a lot of pundits have compared him to Zach Randolph - the old school, throw it to him on the block type. He's more skilled, way more mobile than that.
Upshaw looks like he's developing into something of the quintessential modern day 5. 7 foot with great length to legitimately change shots in the lane, the touch to step out to 20-23 feet and make shots, post moves and ability to turn over both shoulders, makes his free throws, can put the ball on the floor and finish at the basket... the two biggest questions were about his character/off the court issues and him becoming more mobile to better defend the pick and roll. He's come a long way with the latter, shedding 50lbs, looks a lot more mobile/active defensively now. Not sure where he is with his maturity, but I know it takes discipline to shed that much weight and quite a bit of focus to stay on top of your game while going through that big of a change, supposedly MWP has played a role in mentoring him. Whiteside and Upshaw as a tandem at center might be a gamble, but it could pay off in a big way.
still looks awkward idk, not holding out a lot of hope for him to develop into anything much hes not going to be doing those moves in the show, maybe blocking a shot here and there
Could very much depend on how they wanna use him offensively, we can see that he has shooting touch, so he could be used a ton in pick and pop sets as an outlet shooter and do damage. But just because it looks awkward on the block doesn't mean it won't be effective, especially in today's spaced out league with smaller 5 men. Can tell you right now that the release point on his jump hook is higher than Marc Gasol's, that's for sure. He could end up drawing a fair amount of fouls on the defense just because he's a big 5 that can walk and chew gum at the same time, and the fact that he can make his free throws is big.
If JC can stay there or get up around 40%, add in DLo who's been doing 40-41% over the past month ( which I think is where he'll end up being as he develops), plus Randle coming along as a shooter, and Upshaw and Nance both have nice touch from the outside, all of a sudden Derozan's inability to shoot well from the outside is less of a problem. Simmons would have quite a few options around him as well. Wouldn't necessarily need to lean toward a Harrison Barnes for immediate impact as a shooter if everybody else keeps developing. Could opt for the more athletic Derozan and run more and let him do some playmaking of his own, where he's a bit underrated. But even as I say that, Derozan is actually up around 34% from the 3pt line this year so even he is showing development. Get enough development from the shooting aspect and have Luke bring in the right system and off we go.
But Nance will play only limited minutes and his workload could quickly change depending on what happens with an injury that kept him out of 10 games in the past month. “Nobody in this league feels 100 percent,” Scott said before his official diagnosis. “Everybody has some bumps and bruises. He’s no different But with his age and the career we have ahead of him, we’re going to be cautious.” – via Los Angeles Daily News Just shut him down for the season
Mark Medina: Kobe on Tony Allen: “He’s the only one who played me straight up.” – via Twitter MarkG_Medina Lol A lot of dudes unhappy about those comments
Tony Allen has shutdown Kevin Durant numerous times in big games and Durant is a nightmare matchup for any defender with his height, handles, and shooting ability. Great defender.
