Everything Terrence Ross

[MixxAOR]

Ross never displayed any playmaking. In college he averaged 1.4 assists per game.

Ross is at his best knocking down shots with his feet set, having very good accuracy in space and not needing much time or room to get his shot off due to his high and quick release. He's also very dangerous and confident with his pull-up jumper, though is less consistent with this area of his game depending on the situation. Due to his limited ball-handling, Ross operates in this area almost strictly on quick one or two-dribble pull-ups, but is excellent when he's able to keep his balance. He can get into some trouble at times when moving from side to side into his shot or settling for some awkward fadeaways, but has done a better job with his shot selection overall this season.

In terms of attacking the basket in the half court, Ross has improved marginally this season, but remains largely limited due to his still unpolished ball-handling and average basketball IQ. He does very little attacking off traditional isolations from the perimeter and doesn't try to force the issue much in this regard, playing well to his strengths in his team's offense. The few forays he does make towards the basket with the ball in his hands tend to be either from the mid to pinch post area or when he has somewhat of a clear out and doesn't have to deal much with help defense.

Ross still shows very little with his advanced handles and is reliant on spin moves and his speed to get separation. It's not hard to see how this area of his game could receive some help from the increased spacing and more individualistic tendencies of NBA offenses, but it still remains a large weakness. Playing more of the two-guard will also give him more opportunities at having a size advantage in the post, something that could also be utilized down the road.

that's from DraftExpress

[bryan colangelo]

You clearly can't remain objective when it comes to Ross.

It's true. Honestly, it has less to do with you or Ross, then this general feeling you get during games that whenever Ross and JV have a bad game, it has nothing to do when them as individuals, and it's the fault of Casey 'hurting their confidence' or other players not looking for them, etc.

Didn't mean to harp on you specifically, but when I saw that stat, I was like, "There's more to that stat then meets the eye," and "I wonder how Ross compares to a player that's actually similar to him?"

[chch166]

I miss Michael Redd. What a strange looking jumpshot he had but man he was good.

Good was an understatment

[golden]

A lot of Ross hate out there, which I just don't get. A guy he is always compared with is Harrison Barnes - the guy most people (including BC) wanted the Raps to draft. Barnes was spiraling downwards and out of the league and has turned it around - big time. Reading this article and interview, it's almost eerie how Barnes situation last year is similar to Ross' situation this year. The main point of the article is the Barnes feels he was not being used properly by Mark Jackson, and not playing to his strengths (ISO bad, catch and shoot, good). A great read and maybe a blueprint for Ross....

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/thompso...rrison-barnes/

OAKLAND — Harrison Barnes is looking like the star he was in the 2013 playoffs. Something’s different. Really different.

It’s bigger than him averaging 11.8 points on 51 percent shooting with 6.7 rebounds. That is marked improvement over 9.9 points on 39.9 percent shooting with 4.0 rebounds, but it’s more than that. Barnes is better and he knows it. He is playing with confidence that last year escaped him. He is playing with a toughness and aggressive that only seemed to appear occasionally.

It’s not that he isn’t talented. Barnes ahs always been loaded with potential. But something is clicking in a way that it didn’t all last year. There are multiple reasons. And I am one of them.


(NOTE: Barnes is a refreshing interview. He’s very honest and introspective. He’s funnier than I think most people know and he’s getting even more frank in his old age. It takes a certain kind of person to have an in-depth conversation with a reporter who has been critical of him – and still joke and laugh and be forthcoming.)

Playing to his strengths

Under Mark Jackson, Barnes was asked to be a scorer. Especially last year, when Barnes was moved to the Sixth Man role after the signing of Andre Iguodala, Barnes’ role was to carry the offense for the second unit. But most of his action was isolations. That just didn’t fit his game.

Before the season began, Kerr sat down with Barnes and went over film with him. Kerr explained where Barnes’ best spots were on the floor, where he should drift, where he should cut and how he wants him to exist in the Warriors’ potent starting lineup.

Plus, Kerr started Barnes with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. That opens the floor for Barnes to cut and find creases to offensive rebound.

Barnes is an athlete with nice shooting touch. He doesn’t have the handle to consistently create off the dribble, well not in traffic against good defenses anyway. But he is better at that and he can finish. He has a nice jumper. He can run a fast break.

Now Barnes is in a system that fits what he does.

“It’s hard when you get the ball in an iso situation and you have a set defense in front of you,” Barnes said. “Very few players in the league can do that. You look at the best – Durant, Melo, those guys – look at what percentage they shoot. And that’s the best of the best, so you can imagine where I’m at. I’m like at 15, 20 percent on isos. To get me with the ball moving, getting me in different spots, playing off other people, that’s more of a strength for me right now. Going straight isos, that wasn’t a strength for me.”

Anger in his game

When Steve Kerr got the job, Barnes didn’t wait to find out what he was going to do. He asked Kerr what would be required of him.

“He was like, ‘We’ve got scorers,’” Barnes said, recalling Kerr’s answer. “Your job is to go out there to defend and rebound. So I was just focused on that.”

That’s what forced Barnes to play with some edge. Why?

“You get a couple of elbows early in the game,” Barnes said, slamming his chest. “You’re like, ‘What’s up?’”

Barnes’ focus on rebounding has him in the paint more. Not floating out on the perimeter. And in the paint, it’s push back or be owned. And now he plays with a chip on his shoulder. Barnes has to let people know that, you know, even though he’s from Iowa, he ain’t soft.

“There you go,” he says to me, rolling his eyes and flashing his thousand-watt smile before playing along. “You know. I got that country strong.”

Barnes said the elbows, the shoves, the grabbing, the cheap shots, get him lathered up emotionally. And that brings out the Black Falcon. (OK, I added the Black Falcon part.)

He’s a different player when he’s in that mode. When he’s tapping into his strength to power through hard fouls. When he is bodying up against bigger players who challenge his pride. When he is crashing the boards as a way of venting. That’s when Barnes is most using his athleticism. And, most important, it’s when he is thinking less.

A cerebral player, and person, Barnes has a tendency to get in his own head. He analyzes. He processes. It makes him a step slower, zaps some of his aggression. But in his new role as a defender/rebounder/slasher, it becomes about toughness/will/talent.

And Barnes is good in that zone.

He said on his first foray into the lane during Thursday’s 112-85 rout of New Orleans he took a shot to the chest. Soon after, he was kicked in the shin. He got a little ticked off. By the end of the night, he had 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting with 12 rebounds.

“When you rebound, you’ve got to get some edge,” Barnes said, acknowledging he wasn’t a good rebounder his first two years. “You get some elbows early in the game, it kind of gets your blood flowing. Then you’re kind of just on edge, just aggressive from there. Doing that, especially early on, it’s kind of helped me build an edge.

“If someone hits you in the face seven times, you’re not just going to smile on the eighth. (The anger) does help you play. It wakes you up. When you’re floating on the perimeter, your a little sluggish and slow. But once you get that first elbow …”

A Point to Prove

Barnes read quite a bit this summer. And the dialogue about him wasn’t flattering.

He read the tweets. He saw the articles. He absorbed the analysis.

Barnes was part of trade rumors over the summer as the Warriors weighed acquiring Kevin Love. He saw how so many were willing to ship him off to Minnesota, including yours truly. There was lots of criticism about his game, doubts he would ever reach his potential.

So he’s a man playing with a point to prove. He’s on a mission for vindication.

“I got a lot of motivation over the summer,” Barnes said with a coy smile, acknowledging (unlike most) he read the clips. “Of course. I did. Over the summer. I got a lot of quotes. I’d be lying if I said @ThompsonScribe didn’t come up on the list. I’ve got a nice little rolodex.

[DogeLover1234]

@golden, have i found the only other person on this site who likes Ross? Barnes was one of my favorite players for awhile, and 2013-14 Barnes and 2014-15 Ross play exactly the same game. Ross is a better shooter, but I totally think he would be much better in an offense like GS or Atlanta. As much as I would like to see the Raps playing less isolation and more ball movement I dont see it happening with the current personnel. I could see the bigs potentially benefiting, but seems hard for guards to adjust.

[Miekenstien]

@golden, have i found the only other person on this site who likes Ross? Barnes was one of my favorite players for awhile, and 2013-14 Barnes and 2014-15 Ross play exactly the same game. Ross is a better shooter, but I totally think he would be much better in an offense like GS or Atlanta. As much as I would like to see the Raps playing less isolation and more ball movement I dont see it happening with the current personnel. I could see the bigs potentially benefiting, but seems hard for guards to adjust.

i think ross is pretty much where he should be, as far as development.

[Puffer]

I am completely willing to go along with the thought that Ross isn't in a system that best suits his strengths. But that isn't the reason he constantly goes over the top of screens, and winds up completely behind his man watching a mid-range jumper go in. You almost have to believe that he doesn't watch any video at all, the way he regularly leaves his checks, who invariably seem to be dead eye dick 3 pt shooters left wide open in the corners, for the best shot attempt in basketball.

That has nothing to do with the system, unless Casey is preaching some kind of bizarro defensive strategy that says "Over help in defensive situations when you are covering a 3 pt threat."

[raptors999]

I am completely willing to go along with the thought that Ross isn't in a system that best suits his strengths. But that isn't the reason he constantly goes over the top of screens, and winds up completely behind his man watching a mid-range jumper go in. You almost have to believe that he doesn't watch any video at all, the way he regularly leaves his checks, who invariably seem to be dead eye dick 3 pt shooters left wide open in the corners, for the best shot attempt in basketball.

That has nothing to do with the system, unless Casey is preaching some kind of bizarro defensive strategy that says "Over help in defensive situations when you are covering a 3 pt threat."

I honestly think Casey is preaching the overhelp. Its has been a problem since the start of the season and even in Summer League games the defense was overly aggressive. Its the reason why team have been shoot over 50%.

[MixxAOR]

I honestly think Casey is preaching the overhelp. Its has been a problem since the start of the season and even in Summer League games the defense was overly aggressive. Its the reason why team have been shoot over 50%.

then Masai is an idiot and we're screwed

[DogeLover1234]

I honestly think Casey is preaching the overhelp. Its has been a problem since the start of the season and even in Summer League games the defense was overly aggressive. Its the reason why team have been shoot over 50%.

It does seem like guards are in the lane way to often. Seems like any ball movement shreds the Raps D, kinda goes for everyone.

[raptors999]

It does seem like guards are in the lane way to often. Seems like any ball movement shreds the Raps D, kinda goes for everyone.

It looks like the Raptors are screaming "oh no, they're passing" and then all shit breaks loose. Usually ends up with JV lumbering into the corner to contest a three.

[JordanMariam14]

Terrence has a baby?

[raptors999]

Terrence has a baby?

Who's the father

[draps]

How did none of us know he was pregnant?

[Mr.Z]

How are we so out of the loop? Why didn't anyone on here know he could only fuck for 30 seconds and that he's getting woman pregnant with his 9 inches? lol Talk-Sports has got the scoop.