What if Fultz just became an excellent defender that can't shoot?

[tazzmaniac]

At what point do we get to declare players busts? Or do we just sorta have to love them unconditionally or something?

I get people saying the Smart hate is bad or this or that.

But the unconditional homeristic love is sorta bizarre too.

I say this is New England. Do your job. If you don't you're a bust. So it's legit to talk about.

Bust is used way too much and expectations are often too lofty.  Smart is a solid NBA role player and that isn't a bust.  Smart is basically who I expected him to be except he's better defensively.  So he's actually exceeded my expectations. 

As for Fultz, anyone expecting him to be a franchise player is likely to be disappointed.  I think he's got a reasonably good chance to be a star around the Irving level.  If he tops out as being a good starter but not a star, that would make the pick a disappointment but not a bust.

To me he's only a bust if he ends up being the 2nd best player in the draft.

If Fultz becomes Hakeem and Tatum becomes MJ.....then Fultz is a bust. A pretty good one, but still a bust.

People have to remember Ainge is supposedly the guy who woulda drafted Durant over Oden when nobody else would.  So Ainge has to get the best player out of this draft.

That's how the #1 pick works

That is silly.  Hakeem was one of the greatest of all time and no one with any sense would call him a bust.  If Fultz has a Hakeem like career, everyone on here should be over the moon.   

[KG Living Legend]

Ok ok ok. I know Fultz is gonna be the pick and he's gonna be an instant hall of famer. But what if he becomes an offensive player about as good as say...idk...Kemba Walker or something.

But in the mean time Tatum becomes the next Kawhi Leonard/Durant.

Does that make Fultz a bust?

 Dude Eja. I love you man, but what the hell are you talking about???

 We just hit a grand slam. Touchdown! Life is great! We are set to dominate the league for a decade.

 Fultz will be awesome till he's 35 years old. Think about that. He's 18 bro. He's the total package. A dream prospect in today's NBA.

 He has no holes on offense, other than killer instinct. Thomas has that. If he gets that, he's a top 5 player in the league eventually.

 Rejoice Eja. It's okay to feel Good.

[CelticsElite]

Fultz is also a better passer and rebounder than kyrie, lilliard, and roy. Fultz is a better shooter than wall out of college. He has such a very productive and well rounded game

[KG Living Legend]

Fultz has an absolutely perfect Release point. It's Dirk like for a Guard. Picture perfect. He couldn't hold his hand any higher.

[RockinRyA]

My god this is ridiculous.

[RockinRyA]

At what point do we get to declare players busts? Or do we just sorta have to love them unconditionally or something?

I get people saying the Smart hate is bad or this or that.

But the unconditional homeristic love is sorta bizarre too.

I say this is New England. Do your job. If you don't you're a bust. So it's legit to talk about.

Bust is used way too much and expectations are often too lofty.  Smart is a solid NBA role player and that isn't a bust.  Smart is basically who I expected him to be except he's better defensively.  So he's actually exceeded my expectations. 

As for Fultz, anyone expecting him to be a franchise player is likely to be disappointed.  I think he's got a reasonably good chance to be a star around the Irving level.  If he tops out as being a good starter but not a star, that would make the pick a disappointment but not a bust.

To me he's only a bust if he ends up being the 2nd best player in the draft.

If Fultz becomes Hakeem and Tatum becomes MJ.....then Fultz is a bust. A pretty good one, but still a bust.

People have to remember Ainge is supposedly the guy who woulda drafted Durant over Oden when nobody else would.  So Ainge has to get the best player out of this draft.

That's how the #1 pick works

That is silly.  Hakeem was one of the greatest of all time and no one with any sense would call him a bust.  If Fultz has a Hakeem like career, everyone on here should be over the moon.   

Yeah lol. How stupid can you be to think that a HOF is bust.

[Granath]

It's as if people are hoping Fultz fails.....

Not people. Just Eja.

I guess some people are only happy when things don't go well.

[Rosco917]

I'm not understanding the point of this entire thing. We just got the first pick in the college draft...to begin inventing negative theories is crazy.

[Eja117]

Ok ok ok. I know Fultz is gonna be the pick and he's gonna be an instant hall of famer. But what if he becomes an offensive player about as good as say...idk...Kemba Walker or something.

But in the mean time Tatum becomes the next Kawhi Leonard/Durant.

Does that make Fultz a bust?

 Dude Eja. I love you man, but what the hell are you talking about???

 We just hit a grand slam. Touchdown! Life is great! We are set to dominate the league for a decade.

 Fultz will be awesome till he's 35 years old. Think about that. He's 18 bro. He's the total package. A dream prospect in today's NBA.

 He has no holes on offense, other than killer instinct. Thomas has that. If he gets that, he's a top 5 player in the league eventually.

 Rejoice Eja. It's okay to feel Good.

I feel good but I also felt good when we drafted Smart.

I don't think there's anything wrong with setting up parameters for expectations today.

This is a difference between me and some other posters from time to time. I don't mind being proven totally and completely wrong.  If I am proven wrong I don't want to go into revisionism mode later.

I think he's going to probably be a good player. I don't want a good player with this pick. I want the singularly best player with this pick.

That is the purpose of having the top pick.

[Eja117]

I'm not understanding the point of this entire thing. We just got the first pick in the college draft...to begin inventing negative theories is crazy.

Don't think of it as negativity.  Think of it as unapologetically high expectations.

[LilRip]

At what point do we get to declare players busts? Or do we just sorta have to love them unconditionally or something?

I get people saying the Smart hate is bad or this or that.

But the unconditional homeristic love is sorta bizarre too.

I say this is New England. Do your job. If you don't you're a bust. So it's legit to talk about.

Bust is used way too much and expectations are often too lofty.  Smart is a solid NBA role player and that isn't a bust.  Smart is basically who I expected him to be except he's better defensively.  So he's actually exceeded my expectations. 

As for Fultz, anyone expecting him to be a franchise player is likely to be disappointed.  I think he's got a reasonably good chance to be a star around the Irving level.  If he tops out as being a good starter but not a star, that would make the pick a disappointment but not a bust.

To me he's only a bust if he ends up being the 2nd best player in the draft.

If Fultz becomes Hakeem and Tatum becomes MJ.....then Fultz is a bust. A pretty good one, but still a bust.

People have to remember Ainge is supposedly the guy who woulda drafted Durant over Oden when nobody else would.  So Ainge has to get the best player out of this draft.

That's how the #1 pick works

So you'd rather have ended up with Kenyon Martin than Hakeem Olajuwon? Since yknow, technically Hakeem was a bust and Kenyon Martin wasn't.

[slamtheking]

Could we all agree that would make him a total bust?  Can we all agree on that?

you're anger over Smart's shooting is just reaching a whole new level of obsession.

From what little I've seen of Fultz and the volume of commentary about him by sports reporters/sites and a number of people here, shooting/scoring is of little concern with Fultz.  any and all concerns expressed about him, just based on what I've read, is strictly his defense.

time to move on from your Smart hatred.

[Ilikesports17]

I'm not understanding the point of this entire thing. We just got the first pick in the college draft...to begin inventing negative theories is crazy.

Don't think of it as negativity.  Think of it as unapologetically* high expectations.

*Unrealistically

[positivitize]

Dude. Your anti-Smart smear propaganda machine of 2-3 anti-Smart threads a day is going nowhere. Give it a rest.

[Granath]

Ok ok ok. I know Fultz is gonna be the pick and he's gonna be an instant hall of famer. But what if he becomes an offensive player about as good as say...idk...Kemba Walker or something.

But in the mean time Tatum becomes the next Kawhi Leonard/Durant.

Does that make Fultz a bust?

No, it doesn't.

Is Blake Griffin a bust because Harden and Curry were drafted after him? No one in their right minds would say so. Is Wall a bust because of DeMarcus Cousins? Worthy wasn't a bust because 'Nique was drafted after him.

Fultz's success or failure depends solely on his own performances and not anyone else's. You'd have to be exceptionally immature to think otherwise.