Shabazz on TNT

[UConnRock]

He was on his way out of the league. And now this. Just awesome

Exactly, He was floundering for a while but never gave up. His summer workouts (discussed elsewhere) changed him a a player. He is quicker, stronger, and jumps higher and now has the strength to create. Portland would be smarter to dump other contracts and find a way to keep Napier, but that may not be possible. It will be an interesting side-story to see where he ends up and what his next contract will be.

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

Love the two bank shots going to his left. Lost art.

 

[RichZ]

https://deadspin.com/shabazz-napier-had-one-of-the-sickest-assists-of-the-ye-1821641570

That play was just a stunning example of quick witted basketball. He devised that dime the instant Embid committed to the help D. Mentally, he was two moves ahead of the defense from the time he crossed the foul line. It wasn't just a 'no look' pass, it was a pass with his vision completely blocked. But he knew once he swung it around Embid's airborne body there was no one to stop it from reaching the wide open shooter in the corner. In a way, it reminded me of Kemba breaking McGhee's ankles. Combine a superior handle with quick decision making and a gigantic set of balls, and a big man stands no chance trying to defend that. Embid was no more able to recover and get to the shooter in time to offer even token resistance than McGhee was able to block Kemba's game winner from his position sitting on the foul line.

 

[Matrim55]

It is hard to judge other teams interest in Napier, but he is at a minimum a proven #2 PG with the ability to start as needed. He has found a nice role in Portland, but that may be hard to duplicate elsewhere. The Trailblazers have a very young team and not a lot of cap space. They may be interested in a long term deal for Napier but the price may be too high given some crappy contracts. Talk of him earning $8M+ per year over a 4-5 Yar contract. There is also fresh talk of trading him as presented below. There will be a market for Shabazz after this season or before the trade deadline.

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.

 

[superjohn]

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.

Agree on Lillard.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

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!

 

[jibsey]

Really rooting for him to get a good contract. KEA and Bazz are my favorite Huskies.

 

[Walker11]

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.

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.

 

[intlzncster]

That was pretty slick

 

[BUConn10]

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.

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.

 

[Palatine]

That's just great to see. Maybe Lebron was right. How is his defense?

 

[intlzncster]

He was on his way out of the league. And now this. Just awesome

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.

 

[Matrim55]

That's just great to see. Maybe Lebron was right. How is his defense?

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.

 

[UConnNick]

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.

 

[Mano]

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.

 

[Mano]

 

[Mano]

 

[Mano]

Last one.

 

[superjohn]

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.

 

[Matrim55]

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.

 

[intlzncster]

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.

 

[polycom]

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.

What? This has to be some kind of joke...

 

[borninansonia]

from the ESPN write-up of the game vs San Antonio

"Napier, who continues to impress with his passing, finished with 15 points for his 10th straight game in double figures."

 

[Huskybass]

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.

 

[nomar]

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.