Just how good is DHam ?

[TasteofUConn]

but I don't think there is much of a debate regarding who had the superior freshman season between he and Lamb.

Did you think that was the topic of the debate?

 

[TasteofUConn]

Kemba or no Kemba, that team is gone by the sweet sixteen if Lamb doesn't play out of his mind . . .

No doubt you are right, and certainly Lamb was critical to that run. Guy played unreal.
The counter is not as impressive, but it would be this - without DHam, we don't make the NIT and maybe we contend for last in the AAC. In those last 3 tourni games, he averaged 10 boards and 5 assists, and IIRC, Brimah was tuning out about then as well. And you cherry picked - he shot 75% and 50% in the game before and the game after that 3 game stretch.
In the 1 tourni game we had, he had 16 points, 7 boards, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on 50% shooting.

My only hope is that he helps us make a deep run this year before he goes pro. No way he is here 4 years, and 3 years seems a stretch, particularly given that he's practicing with Larrier.

 

[selles]

So the fact that D-Ham played on a demonstrably worse team is a check in his box? I understand that the other guys had more around them, and I agree that D-Ham's low field goal percentage was at least partially a function of playing in an ineffective offense... but Lamb and Gordon had a lot to do with those teams being really good, and D-Ham - for as promising as his season was - had a hand in the limitations of last years team, starting with the fact that he shot 19% over the final three games of the AAC Tournament.

Lamb went the opposite direction when the games began to increase in significance - he submitted one of the most efficient postseasons in UConn history, and pretty much established himself as the second best player on a team that won the title. Kemba or no Kemba, that team is gone by the sweet sixteen if Lamb doesn't play out of his mind (not to mention, he played excellent defense over that stretch, something that hasn't carried over to the rest of his career, but still).

Hamilton may well have the best sophomore season of any Husky in quite some time, but I don't think there is much of a debate regarding who had the superior freshman season between he and Lamb.

There's not much of a debate only because of Lamb's postseason. But Lamb was streaky as heck during the regular season, and if it's true that team is gone by the Sweet 16 without Lamb (and I agree), it's also true that the team doesn't sniff the Sweet 16 without Kemba. Respect to Boat, but DHam did not have the benefit of Kemba.

So yes, I think the fact that he played on a demonstrably worse team is a check in his box. Game in, game out, the responsibility for initiating offense rested much more heavily on DHam than it ever did on Jeremy.

I also think that just referencing shooting numbers doesn't accurately reflect how DHam played in the conference tournament. His shot was off but he boarded 10 a game and made some big plays in winning time.

DHam entered the offseason with a lot to work on, no question, but he showed a lot last year. First, that he can get into the lane almost at will. He didn't always make the right decisions when he got there and he missed a lot of makeable runners, but the skill to get there is huge. I expect us to convert at a much higher rate when he gets into the lane this year, and I think that will solve the shooting percentage issues. Second, it's a thing of beauty to watch him anticipate the flight of the ball and get into position to rebound it. He didn't get all those rebounds last year because of luck - he got them because he's a really good rebounder.

For my money, the thing he needs to improve most this year is his D - he was guilty of a lot of freshman floating last year. But he's a smart kid with a good feel for the game and I suspect he'll get that taken care of.

Really excited to see what DHam can do this year.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I agree, his team play is what I enjoyed the most. His ability to set up Brimah. I just get the feeling that he will improve and progress in all facets this year. Caron is one example of a scorer who became a better shooter in his second year.

I'll go way out on a ledge and say that DHam is a more transcendent talent than Caron could ever hope to be. That doesn't mea Hamilton will be better than Caronimo or have more of an impact at UConn.

What it does mean is that if DHam puts in the work in the classroom, the film room and the practice court he has a chance to be an all-time great at UConn. He has the talent to overcome any game planning by an opposing coach and overcome the efforts of any defender. He has rarified talent for his position that UConn only has seen a few times- Ray, Donyell, Emeka and Kemba are his peers at UConn.

 

[James]

I'll go way out on a ledge and say that DHam is a more transcendent talent than Caron could ever hope to be. That doesn't mea Hamilton will be better than Caronimo or have more of an impact at UConn.

What it does mean is that if DHam puts in the work in the classroom, the film room and the practice court he has a chance to be an all-time great at UConn. He has the talent to overcome any game planning by an opposing coach and overcome the efforts of any defender. He has rarified talent for his position that UConn only has seen a few times- Ray, Donyell, Emeka and Kemba are his peers at UConn.

The problem with hamilton is his physical profile isn't as 'enticing' as those you stated. he has average ATH as well as an average wingspan... however he is one of the hardest working uconn frosh i've seen, which is probably a testament to ollies coaching. That "toughness" trait is why i think he can still be a first round pick no question... its a very underrated aspect of player evaluation imo and he has it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The problem with hamilton is his physical profile isn't as 'enticing' as those you stated. he has average ATH as well as an average wingspan... however he is one of the hardest working uconn frosh i've seen, which is probably a testament to ollies coaching. That "toughness" trait is why i think he can still be a first round pick no question... its a very underrated aspect of player evaluation imo and he has it.

Obviously I'm bullish on DHam. Is he Dr. J, Dominque or Vince Carter athletic? No. But his ability to shoot the three, the mid-range game, get to the rim and defensive rebounding are all well above average.

I'm confident with him getting looks in the lane with Amidah and Miller diving towards the rim will be lethal. DHam sees the court at an elite level and has the unselfishness to penalize any team crowding him.

 

[superjohn]

The problem with hamilton is his physical profile isn't as 'enticing' as those you stated. he has average ATH as well as an average wingspan... however he is one of the hardest working uconn frosh i've seen, which is probably a testament to ollies coaching. That "toughness" trait is why i think he can still be a first round pick no question... its a very underrated aspect of player evaluation imo and he has it.

I hear you but I'm also bullish on DHam, he reminds me a lot of the other Hamilton. Neither of them are gifted with crazy NBA bodies but from what I've seen DHam has it over on Rip with athleticism and growing into his body at the same stage in his career. Rip is an all-time great and one of the 5 best players to ever step foot at UConn. One thing they both had in common is an inate ability to score the basketball from almost anywhere on the court. For DHam to be mentioned in the rarified air of Rip he needs to become that type of student of the game and have the same relentless work ethic.

 

[mauconnfan]

The problem with hamilton is his physical profile isn't as 'enticing' as those you stated. he has average ATH as well as an average wingspan... however he is one of the hardest working uconn frosh i've seen, which is probably a testament to ollies coaching. That "toughness" trait is why i think he can still be a first round pick no question... its a very underrated aspect of player evaluation imo and he has it.

The other thing they all have is intelligence of the game which is so important. When you already understand the game as he does and they did, it makes it easier to adjust as you mature and learn from your mistakes.

 

[nomar]

If DHam hit 42% instead of 38% last year, people would be losing their minds over how good he's going to be this season. He can create for himself and has a nice form on his shot. And he will have a lot of open looks. I don't know why he shot 38% but he ain't going to do it again, I can tell you that. He's going to shoot a much higher percentage, and I'm sure his ball security will be better as well. We're in for a really good season. Just how good? I don't know but I'm excited to find out!

 

[ctchamps]

So the fact that D-Ham played on a demonstrably worse team is a check in his box? I understand that the other guys had more around them, and I agree that D-Ham's low field goal percentage was at least partially a function of playing in an ineffective offense... but Lamb and Gordon had a lot to do with those teams being really good, and D-Ham - for as promising as his season was - had a hand in the limitations of last years team, starting with the fact that he shot 19% over the final three games of the AAC Tournament.

Lamb went the opposite direction when the games began to increase in significance - he submitted one of the most efficient postseasons in UConn history, and pretty much established himself as the second best player on a team that won the title. Kemba or no Kemba, that team is gone by the sweet sixteen if Lamb doesn't play out of his mind (not to mention, he played excellent defense over that stretch, something that hasn't carried over to the rest of his career, but still).

Hamilton may well have the best sophomore season of any Husky in quite some time, but I don't think there is much of a debate regarding who had the superior freshman season between he and Lamb.

Tailed off badly around the time of his grandmother's death.

 

[champs99and04]

No doubt you are right, and certainly Lamb was critical to that run. Guy played unreal.
The counter is not as impressive, but it would be this - without DHam, we don't make the NIT and maybe we contend for last in the AAC. In those last 3 tourni games, he averaged 10 boards and 5 assists, and IIRC, Brimah was tuning out about then as well. And you cherry picked - he shot 75% and 50% in the game before and the game after that 3 game stretch.
In the 1 tourni game we had, he had 16 points, 7 boards, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on 50% shooting.

My only hope is that he helps us make a deep run this year before he goes pro. No way he is here 4 years, and 3 years seems a stretch, particularly given that he's practicing with Larrier.

No doubt it was cherry picking, but they were also probably the three most important games of the season given the circumstance.

All in all, I share your optimism.

 

[champs99and04]

I'll go way out on a ledge and say that DHam is a more transcendent talent than Caron could ever hope to be. That doesn't mea Hamilton will be better than Caronimo or have more of an impact at UConn.

What it does mean is that if DHam puts in the work in the classroom, the film room and the practice court he has a chance to be an all-time great at UConn. He has the talent to overcome any game planning by an opposing coach and overcome the efforts of any defender. He has rarified talent for his position that UConn only has seen a few times- Ray, Donyell, Emeka and Kemba are his peers at UConn.

Honestly, I think Caron is right in the same discussion as those other guys you mention. He's one of the best eight or nine guys to ever play here, IMO. As such, even if Hamilton is merely as good or slightly worse than Caron, he could still be an all-time great.

 

[champs99and04]

Tailed off badly around the time of his grandmother's death.

I had forgotten about that. Certainly, that's enough to rock the psyche of any 18-year-old kid, particularly one so far from home.

Refresh my memory - when did his grandmother die?

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/hc-jacobs-column-0315-20150314-column.html

 

[David 76]

Lamb had Kemba and Shabazz
Lamb was not as central to the overall functioning of the team as D Ham (ball going through his hands, rebounds, etc)
Lamb's playoff run was amazing. But I think DHam will have an amazing year and a solid career in the NBA.

 

[ctchamps]

I had forgotten about that. Certainly, that's enough to rock the psyche of any 18-year-old kid, particularly one so far from home.

Refresh my memory - when did his grandmother die?

I see BLUEDOG gave you the answer. It probably was behind the reason we heard from @Zionn regarding the possibility of DHam leaving after the season. His family is close to one another and he almost didn't leave California in the first place because of his concern about his grandmothers health. Who knows how much it impacted his game all season. Hopefully he doesn't carry any guilt into this season. My bet is he doesn't and has a spectacular season.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I don't know why he shot 38% but he ain't going to do it again, I can tell you that.

Doesn't this sentence feel weird to say?

 

[nomar]

Doesn't this sentence feel weird to say?

I take your point but no, not in the slightest. He was too good to shoot 38%. Of course he did it, but he won't do it again. The team's better, he's better, and he's unlikely to have family distractions.

Besides, I said essentially the same thing that every single NBA talent evaluator said about RJ Hunter.

 

[Kitaman]

It's a BY truism that a freshman will never be fairly evaluated, in the aggregate, by the members here because a substantial portion of us gauge freshman performance with a metric that is more properly suited to a junior with 2 seasons under his belt. That's the way it is, and that's the way it's going to be. The guy is a phenom. 150 days removed from high school and he was lighting up the three big box score columns, yet many focus on TOs or FG%. Ergo, realistic potential is lost in the haze of unrealistic expectations.
Mark it down - he will be absolutely huge for us.

Good point! Adding to that, Boat was not a true point guard, so with Adams (don't know enough about Gibbs) doing the feeding he should see a nice jump in production. Jeremy Lamb was a benefactor of Bazz pg play, and the attention Kemba required.

DHam will be a carefree player this season which bodes well for his game. Any doubters will be converted. My gripe is the many head fakes, I want to see him catch and shoot (one motion) more often.

 

[80shusky]

Hamilton it seemed to me was in a tough spot last year and performed remarkably well for a freshmen given the circumstances. We ran almost no consistent offense last year at all for the most part other than when we were just plain way more talented than the teams we were playing. The fact that he has some wing shooting skills, can rebound at the level he does and is such a good passer given what he was working with is fantastic. I agree with CallMeBruce that we shouldn't anoint him as being the second coming of Ray (part of a different thread sort of related to this one) and that we should let him prove it. I want to see him prove it because I think he has the talent. He fills a stat sheet. I'll take last year's numbers of 7+ rebounds and 3+ assists this year happily. I would like to see him score some more and I think he will. If he could give us 15 pts to go with that and keep the turnovers down we're going to be very happy. I think to some extent his turnovers last year were a product of KO having to ask too much of him. Purvis's ball handling was/is a little suspect and I think we were forced to have Hamilton handle more than he should. If I remember right, which I probably don't, KO had Dan Guest on the floor a couple of games during significant minutes. The Cassell injury had something to do with that but still. With Adams being the other guard off the bench and Purvis hopefully somewhat improved in that area I think less pressure will be on Hamilton to handle in the open floor. At least I hope. I think with a better run offense feeding him the ball some in the right spots he has a very good year.
Dan Guest if I remember right acquitted himself well in those minutes he got. If he's on the floor during significant minutes for our program however, we have problems.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Hamilton it seemed to me was in a tough spot last year and performed remarkably well for a freshmen given the circumstances. We ran almost no consistent offense last year at all for the most part other than when we were just plain way more talented than the teams we were playing. The fact that he has some wing shooting skills, can rebound at the level he does and is such a good passer given what he was working with is fantastic. I agree with CallMeBruce that we shouldn't anoint him as being the second coming of Ray (part of a different thread sort of related to this one) and that we should let him prove it. I want to see him prove it because I think he has the talent. He fills a stat sheet. I'll take last year's numbers of 7+ rebounds and 3+ assists this year happily. I would like to see him score some more and I think he will. If he could give us 15 pts to go with that and keep the turnovers down we're going to be very happy. I think to some extent his turnovers last year were a product of KO having to ask too much of him. Purvis's ball handling was/is a little suspect and I think we were forced to have Hamilton handle more than he should. If I remember right, which I probably don't, KO had Dan Guest on the floor a couple of games during significant minutes. The Cassell injury had something to do with that but still. With Adams being the other guard off the bench and Purvis hopefully somewhat improved in that area I think less pressure will be on Hamilton to handle in the open floor. At least I hope. I think with a better run offense feeding him the ball some in the right spots he has a very good year.
Dan Guest if I remember right acquitted himself well in those minutes he got. If he's on the floor during significant minutes for our program however, we have problems.

Guest played 8 minutes exactly one time last year, when Boatright was out against ASU. He had one other 3-minute game, and a few games of 1 or 2 minutes. Totalled 20 on the year. I'm not sure I'd call that 'significant minutes.'

 

[mauconnfan]

Hamilton it seemed to me was in a tough spot last year and performed remarkably well for a freshmen given the circumstances. We ran almost no consistent offense last year at all for the most part other than when we were just plain way more talented than the teams we were playing. The fact that he has some wing shooting skills, can rebound at the level he does and is such a good passer given what he was working with is fantastic. I agree with CallMeBruce that we shouldn't anoint him as being the second coming of Ray (part of a different thread sort of related to this one) and that we should let him prove it. I want to see him prove it because I think he has the talent. He fills a stat sheet. I'll take last year's numbers of 7+ rebounds and 3+ assists this year happily. I would like to see him score some more and I think he will. If he could give us 15 pts to go with that and keep the turnovers down we're going to be very happy. I think to some extent his turnovers last year were a product of KO having to ask too much of him. Purvis's ball handling was/is a little suspect and I think we were forced to have Hamilton handle more than he should. If I remember right, which I probably don't, KO had Dan Guest on the floor a couple of games during significant minutes. The Cassell injury had something to do with that but still. With Adams being the other guard off the bench and Purvis hopefully somewhat improved in that area I think less pressure will be on Hamilton to handle in the open floor. At least I hope. I think with a better run offense feeding him the ball some in the right spots he has a very good year.
Dan Guest if I remember right acquitted himself well in those minutes he got. If he's on the floor during significant minutes for our program however, we have problems.

Good post and I agree about the offense being inconsistent. The Ray Allen comparison shouldn't even be on the table they are very different players. Ray a much better shooter by far and athlete, DHam a better rebounder and will get to the rim more than Ray did outside of transition. His overall game will be a great match for this line up I believe and he will be able to pick his posts more now rather than force himself to be Boat's 2nd option.

 

[80shusky]

Guest played 8 minutes exactly one time last year, when Boatright was out against ASU. He had one other 3-minute game, and a few games of 1 or 2 minutes. Totalled 20 on the year. I'm not sure I'd call that 'significant minutes.'

Got it. I thought maybe it seemed like more than it actually was.

 

[CL82]

one of our best ever

I used to think he was going to be a Caron Butler in his sophomore season, but now he has way more talent around him

we're about to embark on a special season

You guys are killing me.

We're Dooomed.

 

[aceboon]

I take your point but no, not in the slightest. He was too good to shoot 38%. Of course he did it, but he won't do it again. The team's better, he's better, and he's unlikely to have family distractions.

Besides, I said essentially the same thing that every single NBA talent evaluator said about RJ Hunter.

It was said about Hunter because he had documented evidence of being a very good shooter at the college level before his numbers dipped last year, DHam doesn't. I like DHam alot, but he's gotta improve his shooting from inside the arc, he would get to his spot pretty much most of the time he wanted but he would be way off on his midrange pullups, leaners, and floaters.