Timelord highlights vs Spurs - feeling giddy

[jambr380]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad he is firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

[Hoopvortex]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

[He] has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

Definitely decently.

In the most recent game, Q4 9:36, gets the block on the shooter, recovers the ball, leads the break, and makes an on-time pass off the dribble to Wanamaker, who gets the assist. Rob doesn’t get credit for the assist, but he made the whole thing happen.

He seems to get one or more of these startling sequences every game. Definitely decent for a big.

[Hoopvortex]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

Regarding his unselfishness: maybe an even better indicator is what happened at Q3 4:32 of the Spurs game. He gets the block on the jump shooter and dives on the floor to save it. That’s the kind of thing that warms coach’s heart.

Can he continue to grow?

Yes. I’d say at this point it’s obvious. Apparently he’s got the work ethic and the heart for it.

Because of his knees, he’s got a greater chance of being stopped by injuries earlier than most players. May he avoid that sad fate!

[seancally]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad he is firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

It would be wonderful! If I remember correctly, Williams slipped in the draft quite a bit over questions on motor, maturity, etc. The Ringer had him slotted at No. 17 in that draft, for example.

[nickagneta]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad the his firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

I am not getting the praise he gets for his passing. For a big man, he is decent to good at it. He is and never will be Jokic good or even Horford good at it. He makes the right passes and does so quickly and occasionally he has a really nice pass.

Is his ability to pass any better than Tatum or Brown? No. And as big a fan as I am of those two, I don't consider them any better than decent to average, at best, passers.

I don't see his passing as being any better than Theis, and I don't see anyone running around claiming Theis is some sort of great passing talent.

For a big man, he is a decent passer. I'm not going to call what he is currently doing as good or great, like many, until he can actually become a center that can have offense run through him with his passing rather than a guy that just is a part of the offense.

For those that think I am down on Williams, know I am not. I have always said he would just need time and by year 3-4 he could be a starter/difference making player. He appears to be on course to be a starter next year if he continues to develop. I think he has Clint Capela upside.

I just think expectations shouldn't be that he is going to be Bill Russell like with his shot blocking or Horford like unselfish, creative and accurate in his passing. He'll block lots of shots. He will make the right passes and some really good ones. But let's temper the expectations. Let's just first get him to the point where he can stay on the court starter minutes and be a positive influence most of the time.

[greenrunsdeep41]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad the his firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

I am not getting the praise he gets for his passing. For a big man, he is decent to good at it. He is and never will be Jokic good or even Horford good at it. He makes the right passes and does so quickly and occasionally he has a really nice pass.

Is his ability to pass any better than Tatum or Brown? No. And as big a fan as I am of those two, I don't consider them any better than decent to average, at best, passers.

I don't see his passing as being any better than Theis, and I don't see anyone running around claiming Theis is some sort of great passing talent.

For a big man, he is a decent passer. I'm not going to call what he is currently doing as good or great, like many, until he can actually become a center that can have offense run through him with his passing rather than a guy that just is a part of the offense.

For those that think I am down on Williams, know I am not. I have always said he would just need time and by year 3-4 he could be a starter/difference making player. He appears to be on course to be a starter next year if he continues to develop. I think he has Clint Capela upside.

I just think expectations shouldn't be that he is going to be Bill Russell like with his shot blocking or Horford like unselfish, creative and accurate in his passing. He'll block lots of shots. He will make the right passes and some really good ones. But let's temper the expectations. Let's just first get him to the point where he can stay on the court starter minutes and be a positive influence most of the time.

This is a pretty painful take, nick.

I can’t tell exactly what it is you are trying to say? Time lord isn’t the best passing big man in the league so he is just okay? He isn’t bill Russell so calm down?

Thanks? I guess? Did lob steal your school lunch in 3rd grade?

[keevsnick]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad the his firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

I am not getting the praise he gets for his passing. For a big man, he is decent to good at it. He is and never will be Jokic good or even Horford good at it. He makes the right passes and does so quickly and occasionally he has a really nice pass.

Is his ability to pass any better than Tatum or Brown? No. And as big a fan as I am of those two, I don't consider them any better than decent to average, at best, passers.

I don't see his passing as being any better than Theis, and I don't see anyone running around claiming Theis is some sort of great passing talent.

For a big man, he is a decent passer. I'm not going to call what he is currently doing as good or great, like many, until he can actually become a center that can have offense run through him with his passing rather than a guy that just is a part of the offense.

For those that think I am down on Williams, know I am not. I have always said he would just need time and by year 3-4 he could be a starter/difference making player. He appears to be on course to be a starter next year if he continues to develop. I think he has Clint Capela upside.

I just think expectations shouldn't be that he is going to be Bill Russell like with his shot blocking or Horford like unselfish, creative and accurate in his passing. He'll block lots of shots. He will make the right passes and some really good ones. But let's temper the expectations. Let's just first get him to the point where he can stay on the court starter minutes and be a positive influence most of the time.

Oooh, I don't know man. I think you can make the case he is. Right now his Asist% is 18.3, which is VERY good for a big man. Jaylen and Tatum right now have assist % of 11 and 10 respectively right now. Now granted its an extremely small sample size, and his usage rate is pretty low even for a passing big man at 12%, which indicates not much offense it running through him. And last year his Asst% was only 3.3%, although he played largely garbage time.

I very strongly disagree with the Theis point, I think he's CLEARLY a better passer tha Theis. Like I can remember one actually impressive pass from Daniel Theis all year.

By comparison Al Horford career assist% is 16.3, and his first three years he had 7.9, 11.9, and 10.4%. Draymond's career 22.7 and his first three years 7.0, 11.9, and 16.1%. Both of those guys came int the league at RWII ages or older.

Anecdotally I'd say  the best passes Robert Williams makes are about as good as the best ones we've seen Brown or Tatum make, buts thats just an opinion.

So I guess I agree in some ways, the EXPECTATION shouldn't be that he's al Horford passing. But the expectation wouldn't have been that Al Horford would be Al Horford in the passing department either. It is a strength, he's better than a lot of big man at it already and that can certainly help your offense. Its an area he shows significant promise in, and one that could develop, and thats exciting. It may never be the kind of thing you can design an offense around, it may flatline at where it is now, but all thing considered if its a choice between being clint capela and being clint capela with better passing you'd take the latter. Clint Capelas career assit % is 6.2 btw.

Its worth noting, just to make one final point, that the passing was considered a strength of his out of college as well. Here's an excerpt from a real gm prospect report on RWIII.

"His ability to help facilitate offense is closer to a real asset, though. Williams has can spot shooters on the opposite corner, pass out of the short roll, participate in post-to-post pre-arranged reads and aid dribble hand-offs from the elbows or the high post, assisting on 12% of Texas A&M’s scores when he was on the floor."

[Hoopvortex]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad the his firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

I am not getting the praise he gets for his passing. For a big man, he is decent to good at it. He is and never will be Jokic good or even Horford good at it. He makes the right passes and does so quickly and occasionally he has a really nice pass.

Is his ability to pass any better than Tatum or Brown? No. And as big a fan as I am of those two, I don't consider them any better than decent to average, at best, passers.

I don't see his passing as being any better than Theis, and I don't see anyone running around claiming Theis is some sort of great passing talent.

For a big man, he is a decent passer. I'm not going to call what he is currently doing as good or great, like many, until he can actually become a center that can have offense run through him with his passing rather than a guy that just is a part of the offense.

For those that think I am down on Williams, know I am not. I have always said he would just need time and by year 3-4 he could be a starter/difference making player. He appears to be on course to be a starter next year if he continues to develop. I think he has Clint Capela upside.

I just think expectations shouldn't be that he is going to be Bill Russell like with his shot blocking or Horford like unselfish, creative and accurate in his passing. He'll block lots of shots. He will make the right passes and some really good ones. But let's temper the expectations. Let's just first get him to the point where he can stay on the court starter minutes and be a positive influence most of the time.

Oooh, I don't know man. I think you can make the case he is. Right now his Asist% is 18.3, which is VERY good for a big man.

Yes, that’s an impressive number. Al Horford didn’t beat that until he was 28. Rob is 22.

  Now granted its an extremely small sample size...

Duly noted, and on the other hand note also his really lousy Turnover %, which goes to show how truly microscopic the sample size is: in 111 minutes, he has a grand total of SIX turnovers.

It may never be the kind of thing you can design an offense around, it may flatline at where it is now, but all thing considered if its a choice between being clint capela and being clint capela with better passing you'd take the latter. Clint Capelas career assit % is 6.2 btw.

Again, duly noted.

Comps can really take you down a rabbit hole.

[rollie mass]

I keep reading articles that state how much time he spent in Maine and it was 5 games about 25 min per for the full year
It was a year of watching ,a year of learning to travel and act like a NBA player.
 He had some young role models in Marcus Jaylen,Jason and Semi and there was Horford.But that  But the team dysfunction must have hindered
And this summer there was Hayward and the new boys.
The game will slow down as the season progresses and he just turned 22. His growth may begin gain momentum now with gaining experiences and getting to know players strengths and weaknesses. His shot blocking will make the rounds of highlite reels and be the NBA buzz and now will have players defer or alter shots. and very cognizant of weakside help. Game plans will stress Robert Williams blocking ability and his rolling to hoop. The Spurs were left open mouthed at the height of TIMELORDS two handed slam of Greens pass. That was worthy of  all caps.
That artery condition is worrisome as well as his out of control acrobatics .You got to come down Robert.
His measured height is 6-8 i just saw that, it makes his jumping that much more impressive .
He has handled some of the big names that just didn't adjust to his wingspan and quick bounce quite well.
Lets see how he fares tonight.

[Ogaju]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad the his firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

I am not getting the praise he gets for his passing. For a big man, he is decent to good at it. He is and never will be Jokic good or even Horford good at it. He makes the right passes and does so quickly and occasionally he has a really nice pass.

Is his ability to pass any better than Tatum or Brown? No. And as big a fan as I am of those two, I don't consider them any better than decent to average, at best, passers.

I don't see his passing as being any better than Theis, and I don't see anyone running around claiming Theis is some sort of great passing talent.

For a big man, he is a decent passer. I'm not going to call what he is currently doing as good or great, like many, until he can actually become a center that can have offense run through him with his passing rather than a guy that just is a part of the offense.

For those that think I am down on Williams, know I am not. I have always said he would just need time and by year 3-4 he could be a starter/difference making player. He appears to be on course to be a starter next year if he continues to develop. I think he has Clint Capela upside.

I just think expectations shouldn't be that he is going to be Bill Russell like with his shot blocking or Horford like unselfish, creative and accurate in his passing. He'll block lots of shots. He will make the right passes and some really good ones. But let's temper the expectations. Let's just first get him to the point where he can stay on the court starter minutes and be a positive influence most of the time.

UMM you are wrong. He is naturally gifted at passing you may not see it yet, but feel free to admit you were wrong when you finally see it.

[nickagneta]

I like not just the individual effort but those 2 assists coming off a big man show that he has the unselfishness to make the right play and give it up to a teammate in a better position.

I think you might be off base saying his passing shows unselfishness. It's more like it has been drilled into him to pass the ball because his offensive game is virtually non-existent outside of being right under the basket.

Unselfish implies giving up his own shots to give others better shots. Williams doesn't have a shot to take, other than a dunk, so has been coached to move the ball, which he does decently, for a big man.

I understand your hesitancy about Williams (we weren't even allowed to start a 2nd thread this offseason because he was so unproven), but I think it's more than 'he just moves the ball decently for a big man.' He has made a number of pinpoint passes in rhythm without hesitation. This was considered a strength of his coming out of college and I continue to see this as a strength...

And I think that is a huge addition to an otherwise athletic big man who throws down alley-oops and blocks shots. I certainly don't see him as the next Russell, but am glad the his firmly cemented in the rotation with room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ainge drafted our Center of the future with the 27th pick?

I am not getting the praise he gets for his passing. For a big man, he is decent to good at it. He is and never will be Jokic good or even Horford good at it. He makes the right passes and does so quickly and occasionally he has a really nice pass.

Is his ability to pass any better than Tatum or Brown? No. And as big a fan as I am of those two, I don't consider them any better than decent to average, at best, passers.

I don't see his passing as being any better than Theis, and I don't see anyone running around claiming Theis is some sort of great passing talent.

For a big man, he is a decent passer. I'm not going to call what he is currently doing as good or great, like many, until he can actually become a center that can have offense run through him with his passing rather than a guy that just is a part of the offense.

For those that think I am down on Williams, know I am not. I have always said he would just need time and by year 3-4 he could be a starter/difference making player. He appears to be on course to be a starter next year if he continues to develop. I think he has Clint Capela upside.

I just think expectations shouldn't be that he is going to be Bill Russell like with his shot blocking or Horford like unselfish, creative and accurate in his passing. He'll block lots of shots. He will make the right passes and some really good ones. But let's temper the expectations. Let's just first get him to the point where he can stay on the court starter minutes and be a positive influence most of the time.

UMM you are wrong. He is naturally gifted at passing you may not see it yet, but feel free to admit you were wrong when you finally see it.

Oh I will. If there is one thing I will do on this site is admit when I am wrong. Done it tons of time. Wish everyone would.

[Somebody]

I'll say this regarding Williams' passing: he has a good knack of making "good" passes when the opportunity arises, and can make an advanced pass or two. I remember watching him make some really impressive feeds for a pure rim runner like him, and I'd say that he's a good but not great big man passer right now.

[GreenFaith1819]

The thing that make Lob so interesting is that he is not only a superb athlete BUT he is also a willing passer...

As he studies this beautiful game of basketball and continues to grow he will learn to keep the ball in play once he blocks it (ala Bill Russell)....

Dude also looks bigger in the shoulders, as if he's gained weight and been working out.

Loving his development.

I think the bolded is going to be tough. In the 50 years since Russell there have been shot blockers galore... bunches and bunches of them with athletic skills and basketball instincts better than Williams'. And in those 50 years how many have really mastered the art of blocking shots but making sure the ball stays inbound most of the time?

Not a whole lot, especially in the last couple decades where a massive block into the stands is received with as much excitement as an alley oop dunk.

Maybe years ago the skill of blocking a ball, keeping it in bounds and hopefully guide it to a team mate was taught. But not now. From high school age on, players who block shots attempt to block the ball into the stands so that play stops and the player can soak in the adulation. Crowds loving seeing big guys send the ball into the first row.

For these reasons, I just don't see Williams, or most any modern player, developing that Bill Russell skill of blocking shots.

FWIW Russell didn't only use his blocking ability to swat away high value attempts near the rim, he also used it to get into the heads of his opponents and make then hesitant to drive or shoot when Russell is nearby. I don't see Robert Williams ever developing that type of acumen, ntm keeping the ball inbounds during blocks.

At SAS 5/6 of balls on his blocks remained inbound.

THIS.

Was wondering if anyone else saw what I saw...additionally - I think there's a decent percentage of his blocks that do stay active - at least from my eye test.

Maybe someone here is tracking this stat? Would be welcome to seeing the actual percentage of his blocks staying active..

My thing is this: Never say never.

We thought we'd never see another Larry Bird or Hakeem either - then Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid happened.

Will Lob Williams ever become another Bill Russell? Sure that's quite the stretch. But I'm not placing any limits on this young fella's development towards that.

I do think that we shouldn't be too definitive when it comes to a young player's development, but let's be realistic - Russell's career was an onslaught of MVP seasons with a few All-Time seasons thrown in during his peak, it's very unlikely that Robert even comes close to that level of impact. And Doncic is a very different player compared to Bird, I just don't see the comparisons when one player is the greatest off ball perimeter engine ever while the other is another transcendent ball dominant quarterback in the likes of Magic/Bron/Oscar. Just going to laugh off the Hakeem/Embiid comparison, Embiid is a super poor man's Olajuwon (you're comparing a player with a peak year that only had an outside shot of winning MVP to a player with one of the best peaks among great big men), and it's not like Embiid is going to magically improve to that level with his current age (25/26 should be the close to a player's peak if it's not his best season).

Agree to disagree. And I don't make comments pertaining to "Laughing Off" anyone on this blog.

I know that with PHI there are some posters here that won't give Embiid his due because, well - he's PHI. But his skill set and comparison to ME cannot be denied.

And with Luka? Again MY eye test he reminds me so much of Larry..not going to waste time with superlatives.

Rob Williams will more than likely NOT approach Bill Russell's accomplishments - I get that. But as he improves in his own sphere he can develop a rep where our opponents will always have to be mindful of his presence.

THAT - to ME - would be Russell-like.

Sure. But I'd expect to get laughed off if I make a comparison on the lines of prime Reggie Lewis to peak Tracy McGrady. The difference between Embiid and Hakeem in terms of how good they are is huge, sure they might have some similar traits on offense (isolationist tendencies, mediocre vision and passing), but they're in different classes of big men.

You can stick to your eye test regarding how much Doncic reminds you of Larry - I won't disparage you because of it. But it'd make me think that your eye test is predicated on a player's appearance than how he actually plays, not going to waste time shouting about eye tests.

This isn't about accomplishments, I've stopped talking about them when it comes to player evaluations quite some time ago. It's simply based on how "good" a player is based on the tape I've watched on them tempered with impact metrics that aren't solely reliant on box stats, and I just don't think that Williams is likely to develop a Russell-like impact on defense. People really underrate Russell's defense - the 60s Celtics dynasty was carried by his defensive excellence. Is Williams going to have a defensive impact that causes teams to explode defensively and go from average teams to contenders (contender based on the teams' statistical performance rather than accolades, such as SRS)? I'll have to say that I'm rather skeptical on that happening. I respect your opinion, but I think it's a bit too idealistic (not that there's anything wrong with that, that's what fans do ).

I watched Larry Bird growing up - he was the sole reason I became a Celtics fan in 1981.

Yes - to see a white dude doing the things HE did? The WAY he did it? And for MANY years? He was special in a league where most players didn't look like him. He made quite the impression on my 12 year old mind back then.

Larry Bird is IMO the best SF to ever play the game.

Is that such a stretch for me to look at Luka Doncic the same way? I don't think so. In this Ultra-Politically correct society we live in nowadays is it a sin to compare Luka Doncic to Larry Bird?

Is Celticsstrong offended because of this? God I'd hope not.......

Luka is displaying the exact same craftiness....much of the same magic that made Larry Bird special. He is not as good defensively (yet) as Larry - and he may very well never achieve that level. But his shooting, rebounding, scoring, leadership - reminds me so much of Larry - the Hick from French Lick.

Luka is still developing - I'll give him that. DAL is still trying to put pieces around him to succeed. I don't think he's had quite the same level of talent around him (yet) to help the team win like Larry did.

Yes - every since I saw Larry Bird start to decline in the late 80s and retire in the early 90s I've been waiting for my next Larry Bird...GH reminds me of Larry somewhat but I still see Luka as being more dynamic.

Do I have to start tip-toeing around here in my comparisons with Luka?

[fairweatherfan]

To me the promising thing about Williams' passing isn't so much expecting him to be elite at it, it's that it's a skill- and court vision-based ability, which bodes well for his ability to be a competent, well-rounded team player, rather than just a freak athlete who makes highlight plays. It makes me more optimistic for his development that he's already able to do this pretty well while being so raw in most other offensive areas.

And as a guy who's not projected to ever be a top 3 offensive option, being a good ball mover on top of a good finisher is a nicely complementary skill set.

[Ogaju]

To me the promising thing about Williams' passing isn't so much expecting him to be elite at it, it's that it's a skill- and court vision-based ability, which bodes well for his ability to be a competent, well-rounded team player, rather than just a freak athlete who makes highlight plays. It makes me more optimistic for his development that he's already able to do this pretty well while being so raw in most other offensive areas.

And as a guy who's not projected to ever be a top 3 offensive option, being a good ball mover on top of a good finisher is a nicely complementary skill set.

well put TP