Jalen Adams PG Comparison

[Deleted at users request]

It would've been great to have him come in at the right time to play with Boat instead of RP and Gibbs. Smh

 

[mauconnfan]

He's not in the best of shape and has just-ok lateral speed. He does have hops, and terrific body control.

I'm curious with all of this "not in the best shape" talk the last 2 years? What makes everyone so sure of that, he can score when he wants at the end of games. Why does everyone insist he's not in great shape?

And lateral movement - oh he has it. He guarded excellent in the last 4 minutes of the Oregon game, best defense I have ever seen from him and he didn't look tired either.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Can I just ask where narrative has come from that Jalen isn't a leader?

The narrative that he isn't a leader comes from the fact that the team has been very sub par for going on 2 years now, maybe more. The narrative that Jalen isn't a leader comes from him sleepwalking to start a majority of the games he's played the last 2 seasons. The narrative comes from him celebrating a 3 against Monmouth, and Columbia. Or when he's trying to make fancy passes that lead to turnovers against Syracuse, down 10.

It is not a knock on his ability. He's always going to get his points, and largely, he's been the difference in our close wins this season, by taking games over down the stretch.

He just isn't the type to take over a team, on the court and off the court, consistently.

Just by watching many Celtics games, for example (no, I'm not comparing him to Kyrie Irving's ability), but Kyrie will always come out with the first punch it seems. Once Kyrie gets going early in the game, it draw attention to him and opens up other players. Jalen needs to do similarly. He needs to make his presence felt early and take over the scoring. Then the defense will be drawn to him, and it will open up others.

 

[Kenny11]

I'm curious with all of this "not in the best shape" talk the last 2 years? What makes everyone so sure of that, he can score when he wants at the end of games. Why does everyone insist he's not in great shape?

And lateral movement - oh he has it. He guarded excellent in the last 4 minutes of the Oregon game, best defense I have ever seen from him and he didn't look tired either.

Jalen has been rumored as a guy who works on his game but not as hard as the most dedicated college players. I thought he came into last season out of shape, which is why he was banged up to start the season but I don't see that now. He looks to be in good shape even though his body hasn't really transformed since high school.

 

[superjohn]

I'm curious with all of this "not in the best shape" talk the last 2 years? What makes everyone so sure of that, he can score when he wants at the end of games. Why does everyone insist he's not in great shape?

And lateral movement - oh he has it. He guarded excellent in the last 4 minutes of the Oregon game, best defense I have ever seen from him and he didn't look tired either.

Because he takes a lot of plays off, plays matador D, and visibly looks to be huffing and puffing at times.

 

[Storrs South]

The narrative that he isn't a leader comes from the fact that the team has been very sub par for going on 2 years now, maybe more. The narrative that Jalen isn't a leader comes from him sleepwalking to start a majority of the games he's played the last 2 seasons. The narrative comes from him celebrating a 3 against Monmouth, and Columbia. Or when he's trying to make fancy passes that lead to turnovers against Syracuse, down 10.

It is not a knock on his ability. He's always going to get his points, and largely, he's been the difference in our close wins this season, by taking games over down the stretch.

He just isn't the type to take over a team, on the court and off the court, consistently.

Just by watching many Celtics games, for example (no, I'm not comparing him to Kyrie Irving's ability), but Kyrie will always come out with the first punch it seems. Once Kyrie gets going early in the game, it draw attention to him and opens up other players. Jalen needs to do similarly. He needs to make his presence felt early and take over the scoring. Then the defense will be drawn to him, and it will open up others.

I agree with these points, I was more pointing out that he does exemplify certain leadership qualities but hard to defend some of the points brought up here. IIRC, maybe it was Dom Amore but at the beginning of the year someone said Alterique was establishing himself as a leader which I found surprising so maybe everyone here has a point.

I would just say I don't think it's an issue of him not caring enough or that he hasn't taken some leadership role, it just might not be sufficient to what the team needs or comparable to recent UConn guards. Or hey maybe it's on the coach to development him further in that arena. It's hard to say.

 

[blackbird]

The biggest differences between Adams and those three players is that Adams is working with an absolute tire fire of a roster and he’s not actually a point guard.

Square peg, round hole.

I whole heartedly disagree with this statement.

Jalen is significantly better at the point guard spot than he is as just a scorer.

Leadership wise though...I’m not sure he naturally is one. He seems to be a “I’m a leader if I have to be” kind of person. He’s been more than willing to give that role to Larrier two years in a row now, and in fact is more than willing to be passive in general.

I also do t think he “sleep walks.” He’s almost too excited to start a game.