Improvement in Young Players

[Evantime34]

Does anyone think that Pruitt, Giddens or Walker will see the floor next year. I say that we should give Giddens or Walker every opportunity to play a lot on the wing so that we can focus on signing veteran big men.

[cordobes]

I think this is the time to discuss if they'll be in the roster. We have time to project their minutes.

That said, they'll play if they earn their minutes. The important thing to do is something that last Summer many here forgot: do not count on them; you can't depend on the contributions rookies and unproven players when you're a contender.

[bknova]

Does anyone think that Pruitt, Giddens or Walker will see the floor next year. I say that we should give Giddens or Walker every opportunity to play a lot on the wing so that we can focus on signing veteran big men.

We're a championship caliber team, nobody just gets the keys to the car.  They have to earn their way onto the court.  Look at how hard Baby worked, and the dividends ended up paying off. 

The coaching staff most probably gave them a to do list for the offseason. If these guys wanna smell the court, they have to put in their work and show that they belong.  Whether we sign vets or not, its up to them to prove that they deserve PT.  This is especially true for Pruitt, he needs to work his tail off.  This is his third year in the system and their is a dire need for a backup PG to rotate with Rondo.  If he doesn't show it by training camp, then its bye bye.

"Great players are made during the summer"

[Chris]

I think this is the time to discuss if they'll be in the roster. We have time to project their minutes.

That said, they'll play if they earn their minutes. The important thing to do is something that last Summer many here forgot: do not count on them; you can't depend on the contributions rookies and unproven players when you're a contender.

Well said.

As for a prediction, I think 1 of them (my money is on Walker, but it could be any of them) will see minutes as a 9th or 10th man, instead of Tony (who will hopefully be traded).  But I don't see any of them cracking the primary rotation.

[Galiza Ceive]

I dont think Pruitt will be on the roster next year. He didnt show anything special this year and the "night" episode could have been his sentence.

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

TA improved the condition of his limbs so LET"S TRADE HIM ASAP

[guava_wrench]

I dont think Pruitt will be on the roster next year. He didnt show anything special this year and the "night" episode could have been his sentence.

I would only want Pruitt dirt cheap.

[BballTim]

  If nothing else, this should make the summer league team somewhat interesting.

[huzy]

I find it almost ironic the notion of Billy Walker replacing Tony Allen’s spot in the rotation.

My assessment of Billy is that he has flashes of dynamic plays made mainly because of his athletic ability, but just as often makes a very poor mental decision that detracts from his upside.
Sound familiar? 

One thing that seems to be lacking with Billy is basketball IQ. I don’t trust him to be intuitive on the floor, which is necessary to contribute on a championship caliber team.  Even is the 10th man off the bench.

Gabe I believe is a product of what we don’t have. What I mean is that Gabe is appealing on this team because of Eddie House’s shortcomings as a backup point guard. Gabe has shown that he can do a passable job handling the ball and can hit an occasional open jump shot.   I think assessing Gabe as an NBA player and not just as a Celtic; he is maybe an 11th or 12th man. He is not a game changer and his skill set can be duplicated by 100 other guys that bring additional upside to the table (defense, ability to score in the open floor: See Dahntay Jones).  Therefore, he’s not worth a roster spot in my opinion.

I’m intrigued by Giddens. His well rounded numbers in Utah demonstrated that he is a multi-dimensional player that needs to mature. Of the three, I think he’s worth the closest look.

[crownsy]

My assessment of Billy is that he has flashes of dynamic plays made mainly because of his athletic ability, but just as often makes a very poor mental decision that detracts from his upside.
Sound familiar?

In the limited time i saw him, Bill didn't make near the mistakes tony does.

Also, its ok to make mistakes as a young player. Tony Allen, contrary to some posters belief on this blog, is not a young player. he is a 6 year vet who still can't figure out the fundamentals.

[huzy]

I agree that it is understandable to make mental mistakes as a rookie.

However, on a team competing for a title, I’d prefer our young player’s be more seasoned mentally than I think Walker was this season. I would love to be wrong in saying that I question his ability to contribute. The margin for error is just much smaller on a team of our caliber and the ability to read the game and your teammates takes precedence over the ability to make a dynamic play or just be physically gifted.

[Chris]

I agree that it is understandable to make mental mistakes as a rookie.

However, on a team competing for a title, I’d prefer our young player’s be more seasoned mentally than I think Walker was this season. I would love to be wrong in saying that I question his ability to contribute. The margin for error is just much smaller on a team of our caliber and the ability to read the game and your teammates takes precedence over the ability to make a dynamic play or just be physically gifted.

I agree.  But I think the point is that mental mistakes are the norm for rookies.  But as they get older and more experienced, they should make less of them.  Its tough to compare Walker to Allen, since Allen has still been making rookie mistakes as a veteran.  I think Walker has had a much steeper learning curve.

To me, the real question is whether his skills will be developed enough to see significant time on the floor.  This year, his biggest problem was actually the fact that he could not shoot or dribble the basketball.  Until he improves that, he simply is not going to be a viable option.

[huzy]

My comparison of Walker to Allen definitely isn’t that Walker will have the same deficiencies in his game in his 4th, 5th, or 6th season as Tony does now. That’s too harsh of an insult for any young NBA player as far as I’m concerned. 

But in Walker’s second year, I can see him being a similar liability as Tony was this past year If he takes over the role of first swingman off the bench.

[LB3533]

If Walker played like D-Wade or Paul Pierce did when they were rookies, then Walker would certainly be in the rotation.

[Who]

Danny should treat them all as non-rotation players heading into the offseason and next year.

I'd like to see two veteran wings signed. If that happens, it's unlikely Walker or Giddens crack the rotation, although they are far more likely to see consistent playing time than Pruitt.