Everything Gary Trent Jr.

[grindhouse]

Actually I'd like to see Trent work on getting to the hoop more this summer. He can't just be a threat to shoot and it will help him be a more efficient scorer if he can get a few easy buckets at the rim.

this comment is exactly how the younger generation think that kills basketball ….get to the rim ? how does he do that go faster? just go right? there is a point in life where this is as fast as your going to get. take a minor injury your even slower, now what ? brain over bron stupid! (not calling you stupid trying to make a point) this mentality i see time and time again that’s why i say get him out of here he is too far in the other direction.

every kid is trying to take short cuts if you ain’t trying to master your craft i dont fuck with u.

[TrueTorontoFan]

this comment is exactly how the younger generation think that kills basketball ….get to the rim ? how does he do that go faster? just go right? there is a point in life where this is as fast as your going to get. take a minor injury your even slower, now what ? brain over bron stupid! (not calling you stupid trying to make a point) this mentality i see time and time again that’s why i say get him out of here he is too far in the other direction.

every kid is trying to take short cuts if you ain’t trying to master your craft i dont fuck with u.

Yeah I think his issue is offensive basketball IQ. He isn't fast enough or strong enough to provide down hill pressure like a guy such as Donovan Mitchell. He doesn't shoot consistently enough (although he is respected enough) to really truly change the tide in a reliable way. He has moments where he goes off but then he also has moments where its bad. The thing is when he is going off if you look back at the tape it was still a lot of driving into two guys and taking a shot off .... he was hitting his shots then but that doesn't mean they were good shots to take.

[Kagemusha]

Yeah I think his issue is offensive basketball IQ. He isn't fast enough or strong enough to provide down hill pressure like a guy such as Donovan Mitchell. He doesn't shoot consistently enough (although he is respected enough) to really truly change the tide in a reliable way. He has moments where he goes off but then he also has moments where its bad. The thing is when he is going off if you look back at the tape it was still a lot of driving into two guys and taking a shot off .... he was hitting his shots then but that doesn't mean they were good shots to take.

Gary needs to get stronger. Put on more muscle. I hope he study DeMar's game a bit too.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Gary needs to get stronger. Put on more muscle. I hope he study DeMar's game a bit too.

that won't help him. that isn't is problem. Why do we want to turn him into demar?

[The Great One]

What are we talking about here? there are things in basketball that a player(especially a young player) can easily work on: shooting, ball handling, passing. These are skills that a player can easily work on. But getting to the line more? becoming a better slasher? becoming a better finisher? getting to the hoop more? defense? you can't work on those things lol. Those has to come naturally. Either you have it or you don't. Defense like rebounding is about effort. You can't teach a player how to be a better rebounder.

I'm just going to use DeRozan as an example because unlike Trent, DeRozan is actually a guy that got better EVERY YEAR. DD in his rookie year couldn't shoot, ball handling was non existent, passing was mediocre. One thing that he did well back in his rookie year besides dunking? he found ways to get to the line. Triano once said that he wants DeRozan to get to the line 7x a game. DeRozan got to the line 2.5 a game in his first year. That's pretty good for a rookie. He doubled that up in his second year: 4.9. In his 5th year he was getting to the line 8x a game. Trent's FTA this year? 2.9. But you have to remember Trent is the Raptors designated technical freethrow shooter so it's really 1.9. The year before that? he was getting to the line 1.8 a game. The year before? 1.8.

[TrueTorontoFan]

What are we talking about here? there are things in basketball that a player(especially a young player) can easily work on: shooting, ball handling, passing. These are skills that a player can easily work on. But getting to the line more? becoming a better slasher? becoming a better finisher? getting to the hoop more? defense? you can't work on those things lol. Those has to come naturally. Either you have it or you don't. Defense like rebounding is about effort. You can't teach a player how to be a better rebounder.

I'm just going to use DeRozan as an example because unlike Trent, DeRozan is actually a guy that got better EVERY YEAR. DD in his rookie year couldn't shoot, ball handling was non existent, passing was mediocre. One thing that he did well back in his rookie year besides dunking? he found ways to get to the line. Triano once said that he wants DeRozan to get to the line 7x a game. DeRozan got to the line 2.5 a game in his first year. That's pretty good for a rookie. He doubled that up in his second year: 4.9. In his 5th year he was getting to the line 8x a game. Trent's FTA this year? 2.9. But you have to remember Trent is the Raptors designated technical freethrow shooter so it's really 1.9. The year before that? he was getting to the line 1.8 a game. The year before? 1.8.

I mean you can work on them but the returns will be diminishing very quickly.


Like this reminds me of the things we wanted Bargnani to work on... oh if he would just rebound more, it would make a world of difference.

No because you need someone to actually put in some effort. As a fan base why are we continuing to compare these guys to past raptors. Trent isn't derozan, and if you want a comparison (not you TGO) but in general, he is T-Ross.

[saints91]

Okay, so where is this coming from that Trent Jr doesn't work hard? From what I've heard and read, this guy eats, and breathes basketball. He wasn't drafted by the Raptors... that's the number one reason he's not getting recognized to have potential.

He was drafted one year later than OG, and I would argue that he is a more polished player than OG. And I think OG's awesome. Defensively OG's heads and shoulders above Trent Jr... period. Trent does have the mobility to stay in front of guys, it's just another thing he has to work on. To say you can't learn defence is bullshit. You can learn the schemes, you can learn positioning, you can learn reads. You can practice foot work and practice moving players where you want them to go.... but I agree to be a good defender you have to care, and put effort in. I don't see Trent Jr. as a lazy player. He go better this year, yes he gambled too much, but now he has to make that adjustment and learn more.

I would like to see Trent Jr. pass more, and be more consistent, that's my only complaint. There's no reason why he can't improve as much as anyone else.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Okay, so where is this coming from that Trent Jr doesn't work hard? From what I've heard and read, this guy eats, and breathes basketball. He wasn't drafted by the Raptors... that's the number one reason he's not getting recognized to have potential.

He was drafted one year later than OG, and I would argue that he is a more polished player than OG. And I think OG's awesome. Defensively OG's heads and shoulders above Trent Jr... period. Trent does have the mobility to stay in front of guys, it's just another thing he has to work on. To say you can't learn defence is bullshit. You can learn the schemes, you can learn positioning, you can learn reads. You can practice foot work and practice moving players where you want them to go.... but I agree to be a good defender you have to care, and put effort in. I don't see Trent Jr. as a lazy player. He go better this year, yes he gambled too much, but now he has to make that adjustment and learn more.

I would like to see Trent Jr. pass more, and be more consistent, that's my only complaint. There's no reason why he can't improve as much as anyone else.

its not that he doesn't work hard from my stand point I just think some guys don't have it in them to change certain tendencies.. the tendency to drive into traffic is very hard habit to instill

also he isn't going to pass a whole hell of a ton more.



We bring in other guys who have potential so no it isn't just because he wasn't drafted by the raptors. itsi that people aren't being realistic. I will give you an example. There are people out there who would rather have GTJ over having RJ Barrett.


His problem isn't lack of "effort" I suppose you got that from Bargs, although I wasn't making that connection. I was more aysing sometimes no matter what you do a guy will never get the skill down. Positioning and reads will improve them but some guys just have it and THEN you also add the experience. His main issue is on on the defensive end he isn't strong enough and doesn't have the lateral movements to be a good defender. He will have flashes because he gambles but he won't consistently be a solid defender. We literally just saw him get targeted again and again and again and again in the final game o the philly series.


Did he get better? Yes, but we can't assume everyone to have the improvement that Siakam had year after year after year after year. That is not the standard


The other thing is on offense as you pointed out, he doesn't pass. He literally just doesn't pass almost EVER. He will go one on one against a traffic of 2-3 guys and if he scores it looks cool but it isn't a good play and doesn't help because that isn't good half court offense.

[saints91]

I actually like his ability to create in traffic, he is one of 2 guys that can slash and create a shot. The Raps gave him a long leash this year, he didn't really have that in Portland, I expect him to get better with more experience. He has a ton of film to break down and work on.

I actually think he has the mobility and lateral speed to stay in front of most guys... he just has to play more fundamentally and learn where you can cheat. He gets beaten because he's reaching for the steal. And honestly there are some guys that nobody can stay in front of in this league... but 100% he could do much better.

The non-passing/court vision is something that needs to be corrected, and is also very hard to work on. Not to compare him to Demar, they are very different players/athlete's, but DeMar was able to improve that... DeMar is also one of the hardest workers in the NBA

Lastly, I agree, he needs to get stronger, and get to the line more.

So, it's a long list... but I have high expectations for this kid. (I almost rather he take his leap after we sign him to a long reasonable contract)

[The Great One]

I mean you can work on them but the returns will be diminishing very quickly.


Like this reminds me of the things we wanted Bargnani to work on... oh if he would just rebound more, it would make a world of difference.

No because you need someone to actually put in some effort. As a fan base why are we continuing to compare these guys to past raptors. Trent isn't derozan, and if you want a comparison (not you TGO) but in general, he is T-Ross.

Ok how do you work on getting to the line more? how do you exactly work on that? don't say Trent needs to get stronger. Allen Iverson gets to the line 10x a game in his prime and he's a little dude. There are big strong wings like OG and Shawn Marion who rarely gets to the line.

[saints91]

Getting to the line is a mentality, but strength to take contact does come into it. It's the willingness to know you are going to get knocked on your ass, and hope you get the call. I think if the coaching staff put emphasis and positive reinforcement around it, a player could evolve to improve that area of the game. I wouldn't say Gary is a weak player though.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Ok how do you work on getting to the line more? how do you exactly work on that? don't say Trent needs to get stronger. Allen Iverson gets to the line 10x a game in his prime and he's a little dude. There are big strong wings like OG and Shawn Marion who rarely gets to the line.

So there are a few things that you can do to get to the line more. First of all you have to look at going INTO contact and not jumping away from it. You also have to be fast enough with your first step to get down hill fast enough with your burst. Balance helps too because you can get lower and hypothetically generate more power off your first few steps with your dribble. It isn't just about being big or small its about those attributes. Again hard to do that. A lot easier to get reps in on your jumper or work on your dribbling. Personally I think its partially a mentality, its partially that he doesn't have good court vision. He drives downhill but does it into a bunch of defenders then shoots a jumper over them or a fadeaway.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Getting to the line is a mentality, but strength to take contact does come into it. It's the willingness to know you are going to get knocked on your ass, and hope you get the call. I think if the coaching staff put emphasis and positive reinforcement around it, a player could evolve to improve that area of the game. I wouldn't say Gary is a weak player though.

no one is saying he is a weak player but there is a difference strength wise between say OG or Scottie and Trent. Strength will help him and working on his core in the off season will help with his body control in the air for finishing but at the end of the day its a mentality you have to be willing to relentlessly attack the rim.. even if you get your self hacked up on the way to the whole you have to go into the lane and attack. Again watch donovon Mitchell attack. he is shorter than GTJ.

[saints91]

So there are a few things that you can do to get to the line more. First of all you have to look at going INTO contact and not jumping away from it. You also have to be fast enough with your first step to get down hill fast enough with your burst. Balance helps too because you can get lower and hypothetically generate more power off your first few steps with your dribble.

I agree with that, but I think he has those attributes, the speed, the balance, but I agree he tends to want to go for the jumper or the fadeaway. I'd honestly rather him learn to pass more than drive to the basket and try to draw contact.

[saints91]

no one is saying he is a weak player but there is a difference strength wise between say OG or Scottie and Trent. Strength will help him and working on his core in the off season will help with his body control in the air for finishing but at the end of the day its a mentality you have to be willing to relentlessly attack the rim.. even if you get your self hacked up on the way to the whole you have to go into the lane and attack. Again watch donovon Mitchell attack. he is shorter than GTJ.

OG is less effective off the dribble than Gary is IMO. With OG's size, he is able to put his shoulder down and move guys... I don't think that will ever be Gary's game. If anything I want him touching the paint, collapsing the D and moving the ball. If it's a late in the shot clock then get to your spot for the midrange jumper or fake, drive and draw contact.

I don't dislike Gary's offensive game except the fact that he puts the blinders on. We don't have many guys with his skill set right now.