HYTOP TRAVELS AROUND THE LEAGUE

I’ve watched three Nugs games this year, half of Suns-Sonics, and a quarter of Knicks-Wolves on the League Pass Preview (I’m a masochist), which means I’ve seen some squads by now. Here are some quick thoughts on the players we’ve seen.

Kevin Durant

The kid can shoot it, and that’s enough for him to be a strong NBA starter. He’s got a quick release and looks equally comfortable shooting off the dribble or off the catch. That right there is big time. Combine it with a gorgeous handle and a nice feel for the game (he can pass!), and he’s already a player. Can’t take any contact right now, so finishing inside is a big problem. All his moves are finesse moves with very little margin for error (runners, floaters, etc.). When they go in, it’s beautiful, but a lot of them don’t. Defensively, he’s pretty good if you try to sneak past him, cuz his arms are hella long and he wants it bad. So you should really just go right into his chest. He doesn’t have an answer for that yet.
A quicker Dirk? A stretched out Ray Allen? Watch and see.

Jeff Green

A Josh Howard type (a very good thing). Think if J-How shot jump hooks instead of runners. He’s athletic and at the right place. And he plays hard defense. Will be a player. However, he still traveled in the NCAA Tournament when he beat my Vandy Commodores. Don’t try to deny it, Jeffrey.

Delonte West

Always loved him. Very smart (you knew that), but bigger and more athletic than you think. He’s being wasted on all these bad teams. His gifts lend themselves perfectly to starting on a talented team and doing the little things. I wish the Nugs had him. He may be the ideal backcourt partner for AI (or maybe it’s Kirk Hinrich).

Al Jefferson

Overhyped by Simmons-types cuz he played in Boston—mecca for white dudes who liked hoops in the 80s—Al is a good young post player. Not the Best Young Post Player in the World, which is what he was dubbed prior to the KG trade. He’s got some moves, a nice jump hook, and can rebound the hell out of the ball. But he’s a little stiff, and in this era, that’s tough to do unless you’re Tim Duncan*. Amare and Dwight and even Nene have a flexibility and a bounce to their games that Al does not. In addition, Big Al doesn’t play defense or pass very well. Basically, he can score in the post, which is nice, but here’s where I damn him: Great Second Option. Book it.

* Who is one of the ten best defensive players of all time, in addition to having an extremely effective, stiff, awkward post game. Also he can pass out of double teams.

Chris Paul

I’ve never quite been convinced. They say, “Best Young True Point Guard,” and I think, “True?” Yesterday, I realized he’s more Iverson than Kidd. He can pass, yes, but he’s a drive and dish guy who weaves in and out of traffic, THEN finds you. If he had Iverson’s length and hops, he’d score a lot more. As it is, he’s a very nice player, but don’t kid yourself: this kid is as modern as Marbury. Always pleasantly surprised by his rebounding, but he can’t guard anyone. A hell of a player, just not how they want him to be.

SPECIAL CARMELO BREAKDOWN:

Carmelo is freaking me out this year. He looks like a different player this year. Not a better player, not a worse player, just very different. He’s not doing any of his herky-jerky Melo-moves. In fact, he’s not getting into the paint at all off the dribble. He’s having trouble getting post position, and once he does, the double teams are frustrating him. He’s turning it over A LOT. He’s pulled off a grand total of ONE successful power post move: a nice dropstep in the fourth quarter of the Hornets game. Everything else has been ugly.

(p.s. There may have been a bad call here and there, but HyTop does NOT blame the refs. That's like white dudes complaining that they didn't get the job because of affirmative action. Own your own bullshit. Own your failures and overcome them. Outside forces only affect you if secretly want them to.)



However, his jumper looks way better than ever before. He’s hitting Kobe-esque fadeaways all of a sudden, not to mention almost 40% of his threes. His passing keeps improving, too.

It’s almost like he got old all of a sudden. He looks a little fat this year, but in the open court, he’s doing all the same Melo shit we know about. I’m hoping it’s just rust, regaining his rhythm. If he can combine this jumper with the old ability to finish around the rim, he’ll be better than ever. But I can’t say I’m not concerned.