Quote from: Silas on Yesterday at 10:43:11 PM

Amari with a nice game...9pts,7rebs,1assist,1steal,2blcks.

Yep.  He looked like a legit backup center.

admittedly I didn't think he'd be able to contribute much until the 27-28 season but he looks like he could add some decent bench depth as soon as next year.  I think he still needs some real improvement in his touch around the basket (he's no Garza) but for the most part, his rebounding was decent and his D ranged from good to out of position but wasn't horrid.

There's a reason no one is picking the Celtics to come out of the East WITHOUT Tatum. The Jays work together and raise the overall ceiling a lot. Even if Tatum was playing healthy now and Jaylen was the one missing, it'd be similar. Most of our favorable odds in the East is because of the idea that Tatum is returning probably in March.

You need talent to win championships, no one denies that, but that doesn't mean Tatum and Brown are a good fit.  They are not.  They basically have the same skill set and operate on the same places on the floor. They are duplicative.  They are talented and can make it work, but that doesn't make them good fits. And we are seeing enough games where one plays and the other doesn't, where not only are the stats better, the efficiency is also better. I believe that is the case because they have more room to operate and they aren't worried about the other guy.  They can play their own game better. I truly believe if they weren't both SF's they'd win more, especially if one of them was a true big man (of equal skill but a skill set more appropriate for a different position).

Amari has come along a lot since summer league and the preseason.  He's clearly still learning, but he's surprised me.

(Obligatory "but we still should have drafted Kalkbrenner or Raynaud".)

Does anyone else not trust Rob's health?   I don't.  Though I am rooting for him to do well as long as he does not play us.  Certain injuries never mend and a player is never the same.

Quote from: DefenseWinsChamps on July 11, 2025, 10:38:26 AM

Quote from: Vermont Green on July 11, 2025, 10:32:01 AM

Quote from: DefenseWinsChamps on July 11, 2025, 10:09:54 AM

Quote from: Vermont Green on July 10, 2025, 08:09:15 PM

This is the first chance I had to watch highlights. He has some skills. I think they will translate to the NBA. I don?t know how you aren?t excited about this guy.

We are currently selling plots on Amari Williams island for reasonable amounts. Come and get your land before its sold out!

I think I'm the only living here so far.

I will put down a deposit for that, not a full commitment.  We are talking about a 2nd round pick so expectations have to be calibrated accordingly.  I am not getting my hopes up really high, I would be more than satisfied if he ended up somewhere in the range of Kornet/RWilliams.  That is all.  And based on the highlights, I see that as within reach.

Highlights distort things like shooting as highlights only show makes.  But for things like running the floor, seeing the floor, smooth hands, dribbling at full speed, length, the kind of "can't teach" things, what you see on the highlights is real.  I had no idea that Amari Williams had the kind of raw materials that he has.

The highlights showed him making (1) 3-point shot, and it was ugly.  Looked more like a shot put throw than a basketball shot.  He is a long way from developing anything close to NBA shooting touch.  But Kornet and Williams couldn't shoot either.  Both understood and accepted their roles and contributed.  I am optimistic that Amari can do the same.

We do not do deposits, but I will sell you a timeshare on the island. You can come and enjoy it for a few weeks out of the year.

If you abandoned your reasonableness, I'd be willing to let you put a deposit down. But this island is not a place for reason.

We may be accepting bids again for plots on Amari Williams Island soon! Express your interest here.

I?m sold. At least to keep him around for a while. That?s two games in a row now that he?s showed flashes. He could have broken double digits in scoring last game if only he made some of those bunnies. I think he can be a solid back up or third big eventually.