Robert Stiff

[QuinielaBox]

I've watched Swift play a bunch in his NBA career, including last night. The kid has good footwork, great hands, and is an above average free throw shooter. I think if he makes the team, stays healthy, and works hard with Clifford Ray the Celtics will have a good backup center that costs very little.

Didn't you say the same thing about Patrick O'Bryant last year at this time?

[Greenbean]

Swift has hardly played in the NBA.  Hard to judge based on 20m of play.

The people on the instant Robert Stiff bandwagon are probably the same people who want Marbury back....Thinking he needs a little more practice time to hit those wide open shots he was airballing.

When was the last time any big man was impressive in summer league anyway?  It's a glorified pickup game.

You are right, it is hard to judge him but he does not compare to Marbury who is a proven talent in this league. Swift hasnt shown anything to suggest he can contribute thus far in his career.

[greg683x]

I think a lot of you guys either forget and just arent aware of the fact that Swift HAS shown he can play at an NBA level before.  He hasnt always been known as a bust, and had fans in Seattle with high hopes for him, and put up numbers to back it up IN THE NBA.

It's his knee that slowed him down, if that still makes him a bust then so be it, but it's not b/c Danny and all the other scouts really dropped the ball on evaluating his talent.  If you think Im full of it, check out some numbers he put up in the NBA in just his 2nd year in the league after High School.

17 pts 11 reb 4 blks against Denver in 32 minutes
13 pts 9 reb in 23 min against Sac
14 pts 7 reb 3 blks in 33 min against Minn
6 pts 13 reb 3 blks in 33 min against Atl
6 pts 12 reb in just 25 min against Utah

http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/seattle-supersonics/players/robert-swift/gamelog/06/27/397

Theres more but you get the idea.  Theyre not mind blowing numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but he was produecing better in his 2nd year out of high school than Al Jefferson at the time who couldnt even stay on the court long enough to make it to 25 minutes not to mention 33.  Swift has shown that he can play in the NBA, but after the injuries he might not be the same player.  Still a good decision on Dannys part to at least bring him in, especially after Danny was right about him before the injuries hit.

[the_Bird]

No, we *haven't* forgotten that he's performed at a reasonably high NBA level.  Personally, I'm trying to look at his performance in summer league to see whether it's reasonable to expect he CAN get back to that level (or better), or whether the injuries have just sapped his mobility to the point that he can't contribute.  His numbers from two or three years ago are only relevant if his legs will let him be that same player again. 

[Chris]

I am starting to reconsider my stance on Swift.  I watched him as much as I could a couple years ago when he was actually getting playing time before his injuries, and he impressed me.  He looked like he was going to be a very good NBA center. 

However, now that I think about it a little more, I cannot put much credence in my own opinion of him at that time.  It was when the C's were in full-blown tank mode, and I was desperate for any brightspot in young players.  I could find positives in Ryan Gomes' offense, despite his total lack of defense, and I could see that Telfair could be a good NBA point-guard once he got more confidence in his shot.

In short, I was blind.  Who knows, maybe Swift will be a player, and will show something later in this summer-league.  But as far as how he played before the injuries, I don't think it can be notched up to anything more than Tony Allen's stretch before blowing out his knee.  Empty stats on a terrible team.

[RonJohn]

Stiff looked slow again last night. Regardless of whether he was on his way to being a good NBA center or what not, he is very very slow right now and nowhere close to being "game ready" or for that matter, practice ready.  The interior defense rotations last night with him and Fazekas were a joke.  Does anyone know how long off of ACL surgery he is?