enlightenment wrote:
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Demar has improved, yes. No question. Not defensively so much, though his rebounding numbers are up. I'm not sure how you qualify 'intensity' on defence. Does that mean he looks like he's trying harder? I like Demar, he works hard. He is, however, a shooting guard who doesn't stretch the floor and that is a big knock. Nonetheless there's an argument to be made that he'll turn into a solid pro.
Lowry is a fantastic basketball player in terms of skill and hustle. He played himself out of a starting job in Houston for the same reasons we're seeing here. (yes, he was hurt, which contributed). Sure, sometimes a coach and a player don't see eye-to-eye, but often where there is smoke there's fire. Perhaps that's why he wasn't snapped up in a trade sooner? Perhaps that why BC didn't prioritize him over Nash? What I can say about Lowry is that he should be a wake-up call to Raptors fans to show them what top-15 talent looks like at a position.
Ed isn't getting minutes because he isn't playing hard, or well. He's not good offensively (and never will be) and is inconsistent defensively. He gets absolutely manhandled in the post. I'm not sure what 'waking up' means, but I do know what 9th man means, and that's what he is.
JV. It's early. Perhaps too early to judge. He has a high motor for sure. Great nose for the ball. Tough. He's going to get junk buckets galore. Offensively he's very very raw. Too raw to say he's going to be an option. Defensively he's a foul machine and has not been able to handle bigs in the post. Common enough for rookies. It's his footspeed and athleticism that worries me. I don't know if he's fast or athletic enough to be an NBA 'star'. As for an all-star, a look at the history books will show you a LOT of average players that made one all-star game.
Finally, don't question my ability to 'understand' players and then supply subjective and altogether empty language like 'intensity', 'superb', and 'potential'. It just reads like so much honking.
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