How important are veteran mentors to a young player's development? I'd say very
Seems like a certain type of veteran can be more helpful too. He has to have a strong motor and good basketball IQ.
If we lose Salmons, is it important to pick up someone to fill in his shoes as a mentor for our young wings?
However, his defensive progress is tough to see, at least so far. According to nbawowy.com, the Raptors allow 1.07 points per possession when Valanciunas is on the floor, and 1.01 when he is on the bench. That is essentially the difference between a very good defence and a below-average one. For a player that is expected to be the glue of the Raptors’ defence, that is worrying. Hayes stops that line of thought immediately.
“It takes about five years — four or five years. You just learn through experience,” Hayes said. “You learn through veterans. You see so many different sets. You learn how to pick out guys’ tendencies. A lot of it is just talking. You have to talk.”
“He’s getting better. He still has a way to go, just understanding and having confidence,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey added. “He has lulls where he doesn’t do it like any young player does. He’s learning from Chuck. … He’s better than he was.”
Valanciunas’s defensive ability is going to determine if he can earn more and more of Casey’s trust as the season progresses. Casey will not abide by blown coverages, particularly with the playoffs approaching. In the coach’s words, the centre has to be the team’s defensive “radar.”
“The other guys have done a good job of helping Jonas out and directing him in certain situations,” Casey said
“It takes about five years — four or five years. You just learn through experience,” Hayes said. “You learn through veterans. You see so many different sets. You learn how to pick out guys’ tendencies. A lot of it is just talking. You have to talk.”
“He’s getting better. He still has a way to go, just understanding and having confidence,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey added. “He has lulls where he doesn’t do it like any young player does. He’s learning from Chuck. … He’s better than he was.”
Valanciunas’s defensive ability is going to determine if he can earn more and more of Casey’s trust as the season progresses. Casey will not abide by blown coverages, particularly with the playoffs approaching. In the coach’s words, the centre has to be the team’s defensive “radar.”
“The other guys have done a good job of helping Jonas out and directing him in certain situations,” Casey said
If we lose Salmons, is it important to pick up someone to fill in his shoes as a mentor for our young wings?
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