I voted A, but I think I'd give him an A- if it was an option. Before the season.....
-I hoped he would average 7-9 pts and 5-7 boards....check.
-I hoped he would show glimpses of being a lane intimidator in the paint....double check, as he not only blocks shots but can put guards on their asses when they drive, in a non-dirty way. Love it. Miss that kind of presence.
-Hoped his motor wouldn't run dry faced with the tough schedule....almost check, because the injury, but was a freak thing (and blessing in disguise?), and he came on strong playing increasingly better basketball after coming back. He seemed to be psychologically stronger at the end of the season, and managed the physical toll very well. His early struggles were also unfortunate, but pretty expected given the adjustment not just in the game, but in life.
-Hoped he would make adjustments both in games and through the season...check. This shows in his fouls issues. Did he still make some bad fouls down the end of the season? Yes. But his minutes went up steadily after he came back, and his foul numbers weren't heavily affected. He also became much more patient on offense.
-Hoped to see evidence of solid intangibles....bazillion checks. The improvement in his game during the season shows tremendous hunger and work ethic. His intensity level is always very high. He oozes positivity all the time. He never once backed down on the court. He takes criticism from both coaches and teammates, which is extra good for a guy who should be a future leader on the team. His intensity rarely seems to translate into letting his emotions get the best of him, directing his energy at focusing on being better rather than dreading over things not going his way.
Things I wish had been better:
-Turnovers...somewhat expected, especially when he started getting some doubles, but I really want him to be better when he puts the ball on the floor going in for that running hook. He's getting too good at the move for the dribbling to be a concern.
-Pick'n'roll D....the biggest hole in his defensive game by far, if you ask me. Probably the toughest aspect to master though. He did become better at other things defensively, but this barely improved.
-I hoped he would average 7-9 pts and 5-7 boards....check.
-I hoped he would show glimpses of being a lane intimidator in the paint....double check, as he not only blocks shots but can put guards on their asses when they drive, in a non-dirty way. Love it. Miss that kind of presence.
-Hoped his motor wouldn't run dry faced with the tough schedule....almost check, because the injury, but was a freak thing (and blessing in disguise?), and he came on strong playing increasingly better basketball after coming back. He seemed to be psychologically stronger at the end of the season, and managed the physical toll very well. His early struggles were also unfortunate, but pretty expected given the adjustment not just in the game, but in life.
-Hoped he would make adjustments both in games and through the season...check. This shows in his fouls issues. Did he still make some bad fouls down the end of the season? Yes. But his minutes went up steadily after he came back, and his foul numbers weren't heavily affected. He also became much more patient on offense.
-Hoped to see evidence of solid intangibles....bazillion checks. The improvement in his game during the season shows tremendous hunger and work ethic. His intensity level is always very high. He oozes positivity all the time. He never once backed down on the court. He takes criticism from both coaches and teammates, which is extra good for a guy who should be a future leader on the team. His intensity rarely seems to translate into letting his emotions get the best of him, directing his energy at focusing on being better rather than dreading over things not going his way.
Things I wish had been better:
-Turnovers...somewhat expected, especially when he started getting some doubles, but I really want him to be better when he puts the ball on the floor going in for that running hook. He's getting too good at the move for the dribbling to be a concern.
-Pick'n'roll D....the biggest hole in his defensive game by far, if you ask me. Probably the toughest aspect to master though. He did become better at other things defensively, but this barely improved.
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