Shabazz on TNT | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Shabazz on TNT

Quite frankly (I know I know :)) his guy is special.

Also great for our spirits to see a very special UConn player coming into his own at a time when our program is suffering. It helps on a few different fronts.

Thanks Bazz!
 
Really rooting for him to get a good contract. KEA and Bazz are my favorite Huskies.
 
Matrim55 said:
They should actually be thinking about trading Lillard for multiple assets to a team that needs an alpha scorer. Would the Sixers do that for Saric + a 1st and a 2nd?

Lillard is 27 and has hit his ceiling. He's really good (better than Bazz), but not good enough to get Portland out of the first round in the West. Shipping him out now would give the Blazers a chance to retool rather than rebuild - they could stay competitive, but maybe find a higher upside by being a team that spreads the love a little more than they have recently. Honestly they look better when he's not so ball-dominant.

I'm trying to think if the Knicks have a package of assets that's work, but nothing comes to mind.
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Couldn't disagree more. I hate the logic that teams should either be competing for championships or blowing it up. Portland should be happy to have a star player so invested in the organization and to have a team that can make the playoffs on a consistent basis.
 
Matrim55 said:
They should actually be thinking about trading Lillard for multiple assets to a team that needs an alpha scorer. Would the Sixers do that for Saric + a 1st and a 2nd?

Lillard is 27 and has hit his ceiling. He's really good (better than Bazz), but not good enough to get Portland out of the first round in the West. Shipping him out now would give the Blazers a chance to retool rather than rebuild - they could stay competitive, but maybe find a higher upside by being a team that spreads the love a little more than they have recently. Honestly they look better when he's not so ball-dominant.

I'm trying to think if the Knicks have a package of assets that's work, but nothing comes to mind.
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Disagree. Lillard is looking like a franchise guy and a great representative of the city for his team. Guys like that are what you hope to draft every year with those very 1st rounders you'd be getting from the 6ers, so it's circular logic to try and move him, certainly not for mid level value picks.

McCollum on the other hand I could see logic for trading. He kind of overlaps with Lillard skill wise while he has a very valuable and efficient skill set that some team on the cusp would really enjoy, would really put a team like the Celtics over the top with him or another big.
 
That's just great to see. Maybe Lebron was right. How is his defense?
 
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LIuconn said:
He was on his way out of the league. And now this. Just awesome
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I doubt he thought that way. All it takes for a lot of these guys is a chance. And a buttload of hard work.

Would love for Jalen to hang out with Bazz and get on his plan for a summer.
 
Palatine said:
That's just great to see. Maybe Lebron was right. How is his defense?
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Good – he understands his team's scheme, he's clever ball-hawking in lanes, and he gets right up into the guys he's defending, using his size as an advantage in certain situations.

That said, smart teams put him in the p'n'r and force him to switch onto bigger players, which can be tough. He'll always be limited in that way.

EDIT: Just looked it up and his steal % (3.5%) would lead the league if he had enough minutes (he's at 533, they need 550 for a full sample). He also has a positive defensive box +/- and a positive defensive real +/-, which is unusual for a small PG who doesn't rebound much.
 
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He has worked his ass off really hard in the off season. He's making that work ethic pay off for him. Congrats, Bazz!

He will always be one of my favorite Huskies of all time.
 
On NBATV right now playing pretty darn well through 3 quarters against the Spurs. 13 pts, 5 ast, 4 rbs, 2 st, 1 blk. Playing with confidence and really leading this Trailblazers team at the moment. Quite a few highlight plays here and there too.

 
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Bazz was great again tonight in the win, he's become a very good NBA player. Announcers were gushing over him and McCollum had some nice words about his importance to the team.
 
Mano said:
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That shifty change in speed works at every level.

Thanks for all the links Manito.

The color guy was calling him 'The Mo' at the end of the first clip.
 
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Matrim55 said:
Fact that they haven't fallen off a cliff without Lillard speaks to exactly how good Shabazz has been.

I still think they should trade Dame.
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What? This has to be some kind of joke...
 
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Shabazz is such a smart player. He sees his challenges and continually works to overcome them.

I remember seeing Bazz in person for the first time back in 2010 at the Greater Hartford Pro Am. He was physically overmatched as many of the players there had years of college and/or overseas pro experience. He appeared small, slight and not very athletic compared to many of the other players. BUT his basketball IQ and court savvy is through the roof and he went on to be a superstar in college and now a budding star in the NBA. Just an amazing story of smarts, hard work and dedication. Nothing but the utmost respect for this young man.
 
He's killing it. Nice timing, too, with this being a contract year.

Bazz works hard. That's what it comes down to. He turned himself into arguably the best player in college basketball and then, faced with a gigantic increase in his opponents' size and skill that caused him to struggle, he developed himself into a rotation NBA player. It took a while but he's 26 and here to stay. His numbers are way up across the board. Now that he's a consistent 3-point shooter, and able to score off the dribble or the pass, he'll always a place in the NBA.
 
nomar said:
He's killing it. Nice timing, too, with this being a contract year.

Bazz works hard. That's what it comes down to. He turned himself into arguably the best player in college basketball and then, faced with a gigantic increase in his opponents' size and skill that caused him to struggle, he developed himself into a rotation NBA player. It took a while but he's 26 and here to stay. His numbers are way up across the board. Now that he's a consistent 3-point shooter, and able to score off the dribble or the pass, he'll always a place in the NBA.
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Couple that with being a pest on defense. He's not just a 3 and D as we saw in highlight reel last night, but also someone who can create for himself and others. He's essentially found a way to make all of his skills from his time at UConn translatable to the NBA game. It took time and opportunity to make it happen, but it came together. We all knew when he was traded that the Blazers were great at developing players but I don't know if any of us knew this kind of breakout would ever come (at least to this degree).

Hopefully he gets a big payday and keeps it going in a more primary role for another team. I think in another thread it was mentioned that Kemba could team up with Andre in Detroit via a trade, what about Shabazz to the Pistons? They played together 2011-12 (yes that huge letdown of a season with 3 future NBA players on the roster), but would be cool to see them team up again and that would make every Hornets-Pistons game a treat for UConn fans.
 
Things you need if you want to be Bazz:
  • a crazy good handle
  • the ability to change speed and/or direction on a dime
  • motor
  • determination
  • twice as many rings as Jimmy 'the picker' B
  • above average 3 point accuracy and range
  • quick hands
  • killer instinct
  • a gigantic pair
  • a flair for performing best at the most crucial moments
 
i watch the nba's ever-popular "top plays of the day" segment pretty much every morning, and was pleased to see bazz make the cut!

 
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Storrs South said:
Couple that with being a pest on defense. He's not just a 3 and D as we saw in highlight reel last night, but also someone who can create for himself and others. He's essentially found a way to make all of his skills from his time at UConn translatable to the NBA game. It took time and opportunity to make it happen, but it came together. We all knew when he was traded that the Blazers were great at developing players but I don't know if any of us knew this kind of breakout would ever come (at least to this degree).

Hopefully he gets a big payday and keeps it going in a more primary role for another team. I think in another thread it was mentioned that Kemba could team up with Andre in Detroit via a trade, what about Shabazz to the Pistons? They played together 2011-12 (yes that huge letdown of a season with 3 future NBA players on the roster), but would be cool to see them team up again and that would make every Hornets-Pistons game a treat for UConn fans.
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I'm a little surprised that he's only averaging something like 2.2 apg. I know he had 7 against the Spurs. Even on a per-minute basis, his assist rate is low. I guess that's partially because he plays with other passing guards so much.
 
polycom said:
What? This has to be some kind of joke...
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They're a team that loses in the first round with him, they're a team that loses in the first round without him. They're hard against the cap, so they can't improve this group at all. They need to re-sign Nurkic and Shabazz this offseason and don't have the room to do it without paying tens of millions of luxury tax dollars.

They should absolutely look to package Dame & one of their crappy contracts (Leonard? Harkless?) for cap space, a backup PG and a pick. Their season will end in Round 1 regardless, and doing it this way gives them the chance to 1) keep Nurkic, and 2) get under the cap long-term, while 3) getting younger.
 
Matrim55 said:
They're a team that loses in the first round with him, they're a team that loses in the first round without him. They're hard against the cap, so they can't improve this group at all. They need to re-sign Nurkic and Shabazz this offseason and don't have the room to do it without paying tens of millions of luxury tax dollars.

They should absolutely look to package Dame & one of their crappy contracts (Leonard? Harkless?) for cap space, a backup PG and a pick. Their season will end in Round 1 regardless, and doing it this way gives them the chance to 1) keep Nurkic, and 2) get under the cap long-term, while 3) getting younger.
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Yes Shabazz has been really good thw last month or so, but I don’t think that means he’s ready to be a full time starting PG yet. Lillard is a borderline top 5 PG, those don’t come around often.
 
CardiacAndre7 said:
Yes Shabazz has been really good thw last month or so, but I don’t think that means he’s ready to be a full time starting PG yet. Lillard is a borderline top 5 PG, those don’t come around often.
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He's 27 and not good enough to lead his team past the first round. They'll make the playoffs without him.

Trade him now, along with one of the awful contracts that's damaging to the team's long-term prospects, and get some flexibility/a better future. Because as it stands, they top out as a 45ish win team that's going to pay tens of millions of luxury taxes.
 
Matrim55 said:
He's 27 and not good enough to lead his team past the first round. They'll make the playoffs without him.

Trade him now, along with one of the awful contracts that's damaging to the team's long-term prospects, and get some flexibility/a better future. Because as it stands, they top out as a 45ish win team that's going to pay tens of millions of luxury taxes.
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McCollum will probably be traded.
 
Looked like a carry, but actually shared it with a friend of mine who refs and its clean!
 
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