Basabe
- Thread starter IAJay
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DuffMan
Well-Known Member
Of the 30 1st round draft picks in last years draft 15 of them needed at least 3 years of college basketball to develop, and 7 of them were seniors. I'd say players that needed development are well represented.
Mel, imo, has a chance to be a star in college basketball. It is up to him and how hard he works at developing his game/skills and getting physically stronger. He couldn't have a better coaching staff to help in his development and enable him to achieve his goals. Its only a question of how bad does he want it. Reggie Evans, imo, was a classic example of a guy that has been successful becaus ehe outworked everyone else on the court.
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
Uhhh ohhhs it's facts.
Well can Odom do this?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoD5d4p443c]Will Sheehey - Indiana (Dunk of the Year Nominee) - YouTube[/ame]
Wait, Mel's on the wrong side of that.
Okay maybe Odom wasn't the best guy to point out on that roster. In all seriousness my point is Mel is plenty athletic for the NBA, and if he develops some offensive weapons (and I think he will) I think he's NBA material. I expect big things out of him this year, and I think he's going to open a lot of eyes with improvements he's made to his game over the summer.
BTW this dunk was as sick as any I have seen in basketball. It's hard to get a true feel for what Mel did from the video but he literally took off from one side of the lane, jumped across the lane, caught the ball, and threw it down behind his head while going away from the rim. It was an absolute jaw dropper.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKXhVg4Zdio&feature=related]Basabe reverse slam - YouTube[/ame]
Well can Odom do this?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoD5d4p443c]Will Sheehey - Indiana (Dunk of the Year Nominee) - YouTube[/ame]
Wait, Mel's on the wrong side of that.
Okay maybe Odom wasn't the best guy to point out on that roster. In all seriousness my point is Mel is plenty athletic for the NBA, and if he develops some offensive weapons (and I think he will) I think he's NBA material. I expect big things out of him this year, and I think he's going to open a lot of eyes with improvements he's made to his game over the summer.
BTW this dunk was as sick as any I have seen in basketball. It's hard to get a true feel for what Mel did from the video but he literally took off from one side of the lane, jumped across the lane, caught the ball, and threw it down behind his head while going away from the rim. It was an absolute jaw dropper.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKXhVg4Zdio&feature=related]Basabe reverse slam - YouTube[/ame]
rodg12
Well-Known Member
C'mon man. In NBA terms, that dunk is meh at best. I'm sure it was really exciting live at the PTL because the level of athleticism there is sub par. Especially when we're discussing things in terms of the NBA. I mean, Blake Griffin does something like that almost nightly.
I really like Mel. Think he can have a HUGE year for the Hawks. But claiming he's above-average athletically in terms of the NBA is just wrong man. I'm sorry. He's not nearly explosive enough to be called that.
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
I watch a lot of NBA, that dunk was not meh. Regardless of PTL or NBA the ball is the same size and the rim is at ten feet. What he did with his body on that play was simply amazing.
Blake Griffin may do something like that nightly. He's also hands down the best athlete in the NBA and I make no claim that Mel is in that category.
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
You act as if saying Mel at 18 years old is no Vince Carter in his prime disproves he would be in the top 50% of the NBA athletically, that's not the case. Is Mel VC? No, but neither is 99.9% of the players in the history of the NBA. He's literally in the conversation for most athletic player in the history of the league.
That's like saying Stanzi won't make it in the NFL because he doesn't look as good on his junior film as Tom Brady did during his record setting year a few years back.
Again I never made the case that Mel is a top tier NBA athlete. I said he's more than athletic enough and in the top 50% of the league.
rodg12
Well-Known Member
You said Mel's PTL dunk was as sick as any you'd ever seen. I referenced VC to show you what a sick dunk actually looks like. Didn't even go to the dunk contest footage, either. Those were all in-game dunks. Your claim of watching a lot of NBA games is not on very solid footing with me, mostly because of that comment. I mean, do I really need to keep going to the video evidence that dunks like Mel's PTL dunk and better than that happen nightly in the league? By a whole host of players? Against exponentially better defense and opponents than what is in the PTL? The simple fact is, Mel is neither fast enough nor explosive enough to make the cut of the top 50% of NBA athletes. And that's not a knock on him. We're talking best of the best athletes. Freaks of nature.
Dragonhawk
Banned
depending on age, 18 year old fresh out of HS vs a upper 20's to lower 30's professional i would hope there is a difference in dunking skills, so yeah i could see how Basabe's dunk could be viewe as a sick dunk, thats like comparing a 18 year old shooter to MJ, no comparisson
rodg12
Well-Known Member
An NBA player's dunking peak is not during his late 20s and early 30s. No idea where you came up with that...
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
I don't know if Basabe will be ready for the NBA after next season but I think he will get a good look after his senior year. Basabe has a wide wing span, one comparable to someone that is a few inches taller than him. What difference does one or two inches make if he has a better reach, can jump, and has the upper body strength to handle playing in the inside?
jacknicholson
Well-Known Member
I am rather pleased that Mel will play for the Hawks for three more years. He is one of the most athletic players we have had for years. There is no telling how good he will be in two or three years. There is a very large upside to his potential. His development from last Summer till now has been remarkable, and there is no reason to assume that will not be the case from now on. I am certain that Fran will continue to assist polishing Mel's game. The new players this year and the incoming recruits next year, hopefully including Woodbury will benefit Basabe enormously, and render the opposition unable to collapse and surround Mel under the basket. His passing and jump shot need work and he has three years to do so. I am certain it will get done by the time his Hawkeye days are over.
Guys who make the NBA get progressively better every year from their youth thru the late in their NBA careers. They add to their games every year. Lets see how Melsahn plays this year,his improvement, before making any predictions on future NBA success.
It is really,really hard to get drafted,and even harder to make the league.
The whole world wants to play in the NBA and the African wave is coming,with the Euro and South American waves already occurring. These continents are producing many of the big men that get drafted by the NBA these days.
To make the NBA,Mel is probably going to have to play small forward and be a deadeye shooter from 23' and in.
It is really,really hard to get drafted,and even harder to make the league.
The whole world wants to play in the NBA and the African wave is coming,with the Euro and South American waves already occurring. These continents are producing many of the big men that get drafted by the NBA these days.
To make the NBA,Mel is probably going to have to play small forward and be a deadeye shooter from 23' and in.
Dragonhawk
Banned
its still hard to compare a 18 year old kid to a professional, and that was at the basis of your aurguement
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
I'm not seeing this great athleticism that people are speaking of. I don't see Basabe jumping out of the gym. Granted he runs the floor well and he has long arms but I don't see him as a speedster or a great jumper. I don't see him being close to athletic as anybody on that Laker roster. I think he will be a great contributer for the Hawks but I don't think he gets a sniff at the NBA after all 4 years.
Dragonhawk
Banned
can't we wait til his career is over at Iowa before people declare that he won't sniff the NBA, personally i am curious to see Fran develope talent
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Do you realize how bad you spell? Also, do you realize that you never use periods?
In regards to Duff, thinking that PTL move is something amazing makes me think you haven't played or been around a lot of basketball. If you go to any AAU event outside of Iowa you will see plays like that every day. NBA players who are bench guys are niche players. So that is why Walton (extremely good bball IQ), Fisher (point guard, leader) make and last in the league. If Mel can develop a mid range jump shot and add a lot of muscle then maybe he will get some sniffs. That is a huge if right now and his shot will need to undergo a serious makeover.
I still can't get over the athleticism comment sorry.
