Top 25 Under 25 - 15th edition

Despite woeful start, Derrick Rose remains Top 10. Appearances by Joakim Noah and Luol Deng in the Top 20.

about 2 years ago oldenpolynice 21 comments 0 recs |

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Age: unknown!

like an 80s wrestling heel.

USE THE SOFTWARE. Actions-> Rec/Flag. Reply to comments with the reply button. Rec good fanposts/fanshots so the crud gets pushed down.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Nov 30, 2009 2:45 PM CST reply actions

Seems like he’s been around forever. Too bad there’s very little room for improvement with him. He can extend his game and hit some threes with consistency and maybe develop a more polished post up game, but with Luol it’s what you see is what you get.

Rondo’s good and all, but I think he is highly overrated. He’s got very good court vision and finishes well at the hoop, but I gotta side with Chris Paul on this one. He’s playing alongside multiple hall-of-famers and has had the luxury of developing at his own pace without having the weight of an entire storied franchise on his shoulders. Plus, there’s the fact that he’s likely the worst shooting guard in the league.

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

The Bulls shrink like a dick in cold water.

by dakoose on Nov 30, 2009 2:46 PM CST reply actions

I don't know. I could see Deng signigicantly improving.

He just needs to stay healthy. I fee like he’ll overcome an injury—- look like he is making huge strides in his game. Then get hit with another injury and be back to square one.

by silentpete on Nov 30, 2009 4:26 PM CST up reply actions

He could be healthier,

bit speaking strictly about what he does on the floor, what can he really do better. He’s doing much of the same stuff he did a few years back. Nothing really changed other than his health, and all it’s been is just a dozen games or so.

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

The Bulls shrink like a dick in cold water.

by dakoose on Nov 30, 2009 5:13 PM CST up reply actions

Shoot more threes.

…
Yeah, that’s pretty much it.

I support the Tornado Release ... and Young Bucks.

by Prevenge on Nov 30, 2009 11:06 PM CST up reply actions

Bynum over Durant?

I don’t thiiiink so.

by Super-Structure on Nov 30, 2009 4:15 PM CST reply actions

if you look at what bynum is able to do both offensively and defensively that puts him above

durant i think, who is really a one-way player. when the size also has skills, quickness, great footwork and hands, its a fair rule to go with size.

"Oooohhh, cat in the wall, eh? Now you're talkin' my language."

by TheMoon on Nov 30, 2009 5:43 PM CST up reply actions

I dunno.

Bynum is able to do so much of what he does because of his team. If he were the centerpiece of an offense he would be a much less efficient and effective player. He’s the third, maybe fourth option on offense for that team, behind Kobe, Gasol and at times Artest and Odom. Though his per game average is solid, he isn’t a great rebounder and gets pushed around by big bodies.

All that said, he’s an excellent prospect and will continue to improve, but Durant is already an MVP type player, and he’s younger than Bynum. He’s posting monster numbers despite his struggles from downtown, and he’s only going to get better. I’m not going to pretend to have watched all that much Thunder basketball, but his numbers on 82games.com indicate that his defense isn’t that bad either. So far, opposing SF’s are posting a PER of 12.0, which is awful for them, but great for Durant.

I’ll take Durant.

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

The Bulls shrink like a dick in cold water.

by dakoose on Nov 30, 2009 6:12 PM CST up reply actions

durant is only an mvp-type player because in the post-jordan era people probably

overvalue high-scoring perimeter players. that 82games data is not worth much at this point (too few games, doesnt calculate impact of teammates, etc.), and the fact is that for his career so far durant has been a terrible defender. will that continue, who knows. but i can see that bynum is one of the few centers in the world who can score efficiently and defend, and who have the athleticism to play with phoenix and the polished post moves to play with san antonio. thats really unique.

"Oooohhh, cat in the wall, eh? Now you're talkin' my language."

by TheMoon on Nov 30, 2009 10:35 PM CST up reply actions

Durant's come into this season with a renewed commitment to defense and rebounding, which you can see from his rebounding numbers.

They’ve jumped more than significantly.
I think Durant’s made a leap this year.

I support the Tornado Release ... and Young Bucks.

by Prevenge on Nov 30, 2009 11:06 PM CST up reply actions

Yes, Durant has made a leap

But Bynum has made a bigger leap. TheMoon is right. Bynum is a center with unique ability. He’s more than just a third or fourth option behind Kobe & Co. He’s a bona fide cornerstone player.

by oldenpolynice on Dec 1, 2009 1:10 AM CST up reply actions

I was more disputing the first part of the post than the second.

I haven’t watched Bynum. He’s always had the tools, just hasn’t ever put them together [laziness? Tentativeness? Injuries?]. From his averages and such he seems to be doing that, now.

I support the Tornado Release ... and Young Bucks.

by Prevenge on Dec 1, 2009 11:25 AM CST up reply actions

I don't buy it.

He’s a really solid player, but I don’t see him as a franschise cornerstone….yet. He’s soft and still makes far too many mistakes. He still has a low basketball IQ and is in the wrong spots all too often. He’s solid, and a very talented player, but I’ll take Durant.

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

The Bulls shrink like a dick in cold water.

by dakoose on Dec 1, 2009 1:00 PM CST up reply actions

is durant "hard"? do his turnovers and lack of passing intrigue you?

every player has flaws. im not sure bynum is a cornerstone player either, but im also not sure about durant. and when in doubt, go with the size (as long as the size has the qualities i enumerated above).

"Oooohhh, cat in the wall, eh? Now you're talkin' my language."

by TheMoon on Dec 1, 2009 11:29 PM CST up reply actions

Amen to that

by oldenpolynice on Dec 2, 2009 1:34 AM CST up reply actions

I'm sure about Durant.

Metal sharpens metal.

And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan

The Bulls shrink like a dick in cold water.

by dakoose on Dec 2, 2009 1:59 AM CST up reply actions

Everything's gone up this year.

His rebounds are now 6.7 per 36 – an average SF pulls down around 6-ish. His assists and turnovers are 1-to-1, and his steals have improved. Granted, this is only 17 games through the season, but he appears to be making real strides, though his 3-point % is horrid [that’s most likely a fluke: he’s not THAT bad].

I support the Tornado Release ... and Young Bucks.

by Prevenge on Dec 2, 2009 2:53 AM CST up reply actions

I agree with you on the three-point %

It’s going to go up. But 1-to-1 assist/to ratio? That means he makes as many mistakes with the ball as good plays with it? That’s something to be proud of?

by oldenpolynice on Dec 2, 2009 1:17 PM CST up reply actions

It's better than it used to be!

:P
Anyways, it’s 3.1 to 3.1, which isn’t too many turnovers for his USG%. He should have more assists.
My point was that he was improving, not that he was perfect right now. This season he definitely seems to be focusing more on rebounding/etc.

I support the Tornado Release ... and Young Bucks.

by Prevenge on Dec 2, 2009 2:04 PM CST up reply actions

The Jennings bandwagon is getting a bit out of hand.

He has played 15 NBA games. He obviously started off very hot, but look at his last 4 games, his FG% is coming back to earth quickly. It will be interesting to see which is the aberration.

by JeffD on Nov 30, 2009 4:28 PM CST reply actions

That's a fair point

The chemistry that Jennings has with Andrew Bogut is terrific though. And he has good court vision. Also, he seems to have a developed feel for when to take shots and when to get his teammates involved. Even if his FG% drops, I think he has the skills to be a top 20 player on this list.

by oldenpolynice on Nov 30, 2009 4:55 PM CST up reply actions