Open (preseason) thread #2: Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks

Just because he was pushed by Hollinger, doesn't mean he's a good player.

*** FROM DRAFT EXPRESS.com

Weaknesses
The big question about Fazekas, and the reason that he might be kept out of the 1st round is his physical strength. Even though he puts up great numbers, they are usually against weaker competition. He is not the ideal physical specimen most teams look for in a power forward. Because of that he might have trouble against superior athletes at that position.

His lack of strength could cause him to get pushed around by bigger players, and there are major question marks about how he will be able to hold his position on the block. His upper body strength is especially poor. What's most concerning about this is the fact that his frame is extremely narrow, particularly in his shoulders, which leads you to believe that he will have a very difficult time putting on more weight.

His lack of athleticism is also an issue. Fazekas is just an average leaper at the college level, and noticeably lacks quickness. He runs the floor fairly awkwardly as well. Defensively, this lack of strength and footspeed is a major concern. Laterally, his feet are likely not quick enough to stay in front of perimeter oriented power forwards, while in the post it's hard to see him matching up very well with bruising back to the basket types. Fazekas is already an average defender at best, so one has to question what to expect out of him at the next level.

The ironic part about Fazekas's ability to shoot the basketball is the fact that while his jumper looks excellent, his shooting percentages from the 3-point line have gone down since his freshman year. As a freshman he was truly a perimeter big man that could really hit 3-point shots. However, as defenses have paid closer attention to him, his 3-point shooting has gone down.

Even though his arsenal of post moves is quite developed, he might have trouble against players that are almost always going to be strong than him. Will he still be able to get off the same type of shots he did in college at the next level, and will he be able to adapt his game to a different type of defender? He will also have to learn how to get post position against players that will physically not let him set up and get the ball freely.

Another issue with his lack of strength is the fact that potentially he could have trouble rebounding and boxing out strong players. Even against weak competition, at times he gets pushed around under the boards too easily.

Not too much of a big deal I guess since there's only 3 games on Plus this season...but those will be 3 of the most boring nights of my year  :(