Poll: Was Zizic over Skal Labissiere a mistake

[knuckleballer]

This reminds me of Al Jefferson early in his career.  Not skill wise, but how slow they look.  Jefferson looked so slow his first couple of seasons that I didn't think he would ever make it in the NBA.  Then during his third season, he began figuring things out and improved dramatically during the course of the season.  He didn't get faster, he just began to understand where he needed to be and what he needed to do.  And suddenly he looked much quicker.  It wasn't physical, it was mental.

The same may be the case with Zizic.  The NBA SL plays much faster than Europe and is very hectic.  Once Zizic gets some experience in the NBA and gets used to the speed, he might begin to look much quicker by positioning himself better.  I'm not predicting this, but I'm not ready to write him off either.  The summer league is awful way to evaluate big guys.

Even in the playoffs during his rookie year when he played really well, at times, iirc, against Jermaine O'Neal?

I don't specifically remember how he played in that playoff series.  He didn't do much his first two years in the league and then broke out in his third.  I remember his third season he improved dramatically throughout the year as he clearly began to understand the game.  It was fun to watch. His improvement was 90% mental and it made him look much quicker.  That's my point about Zizic.  Once he adjusts to NBA speed and understands how to position himself, he might appear to be quicker.  Or maybe not.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

This reminds me of Al Jefferson early in his career.  Not skill wise, but how slow they look.  Jefferson looked so slow his first couple of seasons that I didn't think he would ever make it in the NBA.  Then during his third season, he began figuring things out and improved dramatically during the course of the season.  He didn't get faster, he just began to understand where he needed to be and what he needed to do.  And suddenly he looked much quicker.  It wasn't physical, it was mental.

The same may be the case with Zizic.  The NBA SL plays much faster than Europe and is very hectic.  Once Zizic gets some experience in the NBA and gets used to the speed, he might begin to look much quicker by positioning himself better.  I'm not predicting this, but I'm not ready to write him off either.  The summer league is awful way to evaluate big guys.

Jefferson always always ALWAYS had an NBA postgame... not sure what games you watched, but it was clear from the beginning that he was going to be able to score in the NBA.  I don't think you'll find a single article from that era that discusses Jefferson and doesn't reference his McHale-like post skills.   

Different skills in play. He is on about running the floor rotating on defense and so on, rather than catching the ball down low and getting your shots off when and where you like.

[knuckleballer]

This reminds me of Al Jefferson early in his career.  Not skill wise, but how slow they look.  Jefferson looked so slow his first couple of seasons that I didn't think he would ever make it in the NBA.  Then during his third season, he began figuring things out and improved dramatically during the course of the season.  He didn't get faster, he just began to understand where he needed to be and what he needed to do.  And suddenly he looked much quicker.  It wasn't physical, it was mental.

The same may be the case with Zizic.  The NBA SL plays much faster than Europe and is very hectic.  Once Zizic gets some experience in the NBA and gets used to the speed, he might begin to look much quicker by positioning himself better.  I'm not predicting this, but I'm not ready to write him off either.  The summer league is awful way to evaluate big guys.

Jefferson always always ALWAYS had an NBA postgame... not sure what games you watched, but it was clear from the beginning that he was going to be able to score in the NBA.  I don't think you'll find a single article from that era that discusses Jefferson and doesn't reference his McHale-like post skills.   

As I said, I'm not comparing their skill set, just their quickness.  I thought he began to look dramatically quicker during his third season as he began to understand the game.  That stood out to me.  I enjoyed watching his improvement during that year.  That's the only point I was making.  I wasn't comparing their potential.

[knuckleballer]

This reminds me of Al Jefferson early in his career.  Not skill wise, but how slow they look.  Jefferson looked so slow his first couple of seasons that I didn't think he would ever make it in the NBA.  Then during his third season, he began figuring things out and improved dramatically during the course of the season.  He didn't get faster, he just began to understand where he needed to be and what he needed to do.  And suddenly he looked much quicker.  It wasn't physical, it was mental.

The same may be the case with Zizic.  The NBA SL plays much faster than Europe and is very hectic.  Once Zizic gets some experience in the NBA and gets used to the speed, he might begin to look much quicker by positioning himself better.  I'm not predicting this, but I'm not ready to write him off either.  The summer league is awful way to evaluate big guys.

Jefferson always always ALWAYS had an NBA postgame... not sure what games you watched, but it was clear from the beginning that he was going to be able to score in the NBA.  I don't think you'll find a single article from that era that discusses Jefferson and doesn't reference his McHale-like post skills.   

Different skills in play. He is on about running the floor rotating on defense and so on, rather than catching the ball down low and getting your shots off when and where you like.

Thanks, that's all I was trying to say.

[jdz101]

This poll needs a "stop being ridiculous, it has been two days of summer league" option.

The proclivity for ridiculous early hot takes on this forum is quite funny.

[CelticsElite]

No because zizic agreed to be stashed. Not an option with skal, and  I believe that zubac didn't want to be stashed.

We had to stash because we had 8 draft picks

This was a common refrain but was always untrue.  We easily could have cut or traded some of the proven bums on the roster to clear a spot (this is not a revolutionary move in the NBA as it's done every year)  people act like clearing 800k -1.5 million in cap space to sign an NBA level talent was an impossibility.  James Young, Jordan Mickey, Tyler Zeller, Demetrius Jackson, Abdel Nader, RJ Hunter, were all guys that had less than 5% chance of contributing in any meaningful way... All could have and should have been moved/cut to make way to fill an actual position of need.

wasn't ainge making room for horford and durant?

[cltc5]

Maybe.  I don't think I've seen a worse big man with such hype in my life

[JSD]

"Despair for Labissiere" was a tanking tag line for a minute back in the day.

[Beat LA]

This reminds me of Al Jefferson early in his career.  Not skill wise, but how slow they look.  Jefferson looked so slow his first couple of seasons that I didn't think he would ever make it in the NBA.  Then during his third season, he began figuring things out and improved dramatically during the course of the season.  He didn't get faster, he just began to understand where he needed to be and what he needed to do.  And suddenly he looked much quicker.  It wasn't physical, it was mental.

The same may be the case with Zizic.  The NBA SL plays much faster than Europe and is very hectic.  Once Zizic gets some experience in the NBA and gets used to the speed, he might begin to look much quicker by positioning himself better.  I'm not predicting this, but I'm not ready to write him off either.  The summer league is awful way to evaluate big guys.

Even in the playoffs during his rookie year when he played really well, at times, iirc, against Jermaine O'Neal?

I don't specifically remember how he played in that playoff series.  He didn't do much his first two years in the league and then broke out in his third.  I remember his third season he improved dramatically throughout the year as he clearly began to understand the game.  It was fun to watch. His improvement was 90% mental and it made him look much quicker.  That's my point about Zizic.  Once he adjusts to NBA speed and understands how to position himself, he might appear to be quicker.  Or maybe not.

Oh absolutely.  With Pierce out, Big Al's growth was one of the only reasons to watch that team during that, what, 17/18 game losing streak that year?  Ugh.

Anyway, I think that the highlight of all highlights for Jefferson during 06-07 was when he pump-faked Tim Duncan out of his shoes during a game in Boston that year, iirc. 

[YoungOne87]

Zizic was hyped a lot around here and now after 3 summer legue games and no NBA preparation he's terrible all of a sudden?

Gives this guy some time. And Stop these silly threads.

[LGC88]

 Can't believe we took Zizic over the #1 rated prospect. I remember hearing about Skal Labissiere a year before he went to Kentucky.

 He slides to #23 and we pass on him for this Euro Bum Zizic. Skal is the new NBA big man, shoots the three blocks shots, long athletic.



 Calipari is a great recruiter not a genius Coach IMO. Coach Steven's would have worked wonders with a kid with this type of size and talent.

Wait I have a new one for you :
Can't believe we wasted a pick on KO and let him go for free while we could have drafted The Greek freak.....
Just kidding.

[Darío SpanishFan]

No because zizic agreed to be stashed. Not an option with skal, and  I believe that zubac didn't want to be stashed.

We had to stash because we had 8 draft picks

End of another of "those threads". I'm omitting the adjective, but it's always the same. Some people are not happy with anything.

[Celtics4ever]

I think both the guys we took after Brown last year were a reach.   It is early, I hope I am wrong.

[Roy H.]

This poll needs a "stop being ridiculous, it has been two days of summer league" option.

The proclivity for ridiculous early hot takes on this forum is quite funny.

I agree, but that extends well beyond this forum, unfortunately.

[kozlodoev]

Skal combined for 11 points in his first two SL games last year. Just saying.