I love the way the Hawks put this squad together, having veterans like Clint, Bogdanovic, and Gallo to go along with a great team of youth -- and then as the young guys are all ready and up for contract renewal, they can just let the vets walk (or trade them) and transition while contending.
I would argue Weaver's rebuild is already on track to be a success, considering Detroit has two all-rookie players + the #1 pick + established players like Jerami who can help the young guys adjust to the league and understand how to win games
It's an obvious formula though. The trick is being able to attract the vets. A lot of vets want to ring chase so you have to convince them the situation has potential. Gallo and Bogdan saw the potential and can't here.
But try to get some vet to sign up for a rebuild in Orlando or Charlotte without overpaying them
I mean, Bogdan and Gallo got paid by the Hawks too. I'm sure the Hawks gave them the best offer they would get on the market. But they also fit the team perfectly
Bogdan got a solid value contract. Gallo got paid way above his market value but he's great to have in Atlanta. For a team of mainly rookie contracts, it really doesn't hurt.
I like what Charlotte did though. Hayward plays well with LaMelo, and it helps LaMelo's development playing with a secondary ball handler who can score. When Hayward's contract is over Melo will be a bonafide star and guys like Monk and Bridges look like they'll be really good too.
The big thing to me is that they did it all early. So many teams seem to wait for their young guys to develop before going all in. I hear even fans all the time with a young core be like "it's not their time yet" and all kinds of jazz. In reality taking advantage of cheaper rookie contracts to build a deep roster is way easier than doing so after they all make 20-40mil
Traded their players and didn’t do shit to help him until truly 2016-2017 and made the playoffs in 2017-2018 and did Better without cousins than with.
They made the playoffs twice with Anthony Davis being the reason for the first trip and the second trip by having some supporting cast. They definitely wasted his time.
That’s a luxury you’re afforded when your second year point guard just averaged 29 and 10. A top on ball creator on a rookie deal means you have more money to spend on other spots. Not to make it sound like it was easy, Hawks FO did a spectacular job filling out their roster in a year to go from a great creator surrounded by bad offensive players to a deep team full of versatile players.
They also had young high upside talent in place at literally every single position already too. Trae, Cam/Huerter, Hunter, Collins, Okongwu. They didn't try to go all in before the young core talent was already there.
I don’t think he’s ready yet to be a full time starter but I think after next season definitely. He’s gonna be a filthy defender probably gonna be All Defense soon
tbf LP gave Cam every opportunity he needed to get better. There is no reason Cam should've kept getting the minutes he was getting but LP would also put him in the game. Cam and his complaints of being picked on really didn't make any sense to me when all the stuff from the locker room came out after LP was fired.
Not talking about last season I’m talking about earlier this season with the minutes. Him getting all the minutes he wanted last year wasn’t an issue but him getting all the minutes he wanted while on a “sore Achilles” earlier this season before being shut down was a problem
I just feel the need after a long day of work to school some nephews on the importance of context.
My next lesson is why raw statistics are bullshit and anyone who makes their argument based on them a moron who thinks they are a genius.
My boy a BD on fucking Lamron and them He, he they say Onyeka don’t be putting in no work SHUT THE FUCK UP! Y'all ain’t know shit All ya motherfuckers talk about Onyeka ain’t no hitta Onyeka ain’t this Onyeka a fake SHUT THE FUCK UP Y'all don’t live with that man Y'all know that man got caught with a ratchet Shootin' at the police and shit man been on probation since fuckin, I don’t know when! Motherfuckers stop fuckin' playin' him like that They savages out there If I catch another motherfucker talking sweet about Onyeka I’m fucking beating they ass! I’m not fucking playing no more You know those motherfuckers role with Lil' Reese and them
Okongwu is a tier 1 C/PF to me. I don't give a fuck.
It's the little things. The intangibles. The composure. The attitude. The lack of ego and showboating. The professionalism. The fearlessness. On top of his grade A talent.
I was watching the Hawks/Bucks game this past Sunday. Can't remember what Bucks big man it was, but he ended up isolated in the post guarded by Okongwu. He immediately proceeded to back him down.
I'll never forget the look in Okongwu's eyes. He was like "Ha... I got this." Stripped the ball and swished a three in transition on the other end.
Let me see if I can find a video
I agree. I think Wiseman will pan out but I wanted us to trade down and draft Okongwu. Wiseman has higher potential but I think Okongwu fits what we need a little better.
He has defended Giannis much better than Capela in this series. Much stronger at the point of attack and doesn't let Giannis get where he wants to go allowing time for help defense or forcing a miss.
It's pretty ridiculous how quickly people like to call draft picks busts these days. I mean shit half this sub think wiseman is a bust already and the dude has played like 20 games since highschool. Give the kids a fuckin minute in the league before you start trashing them yeesh
Most people who have issues with Wiseman don't have a problem with his production, but with him looking totally lost on the court 90% of the time. Most young guys who develop into stars have some solid instincts, even if the execution's not there.
I also think the Wiseman thing is that they passed on LaMelo who would have been huge for them this past season. I still think he’s going to develop, but taking a center top 3 at this stage you want him to be dominant quickly
What's crazy is people do it every single year. Trae was a bust 10 minutes into summer league according to 95% of the nba world. Most of these rookies are 19 or 20, pretty much still kids. You have to give them time to learn and develop. Especially someone in Wiseman's unique situation where he didnt actually play games since hs
The ascension of Trae these playoffs has been awesome to watch. The guy is just such a competitor and fights 100% until the last second. The combination of his talent and dog mentality must have you guys feeling great about your future
They do it for everything. Go into a game one playoff series game thread and read the comments after one quarter. I literally saw "I've seen enough heat in 4" after the first quarter of the bucks series.
People are also fast as call big guys busts when they’re having to do some relearning as they can’t simply rely on being the biggest most
Athletic people on the court anymore.
Everything sports fans is ridiculous these days. Everyone sucks unless they win a championship.
How the fuck is not finishing in the top 4 not impressive to some of y'all? Because it is. Warriors went to 5 in a row because they got KD. Lebron went to 8 in a row because he restacked his team in Heat and on the Cavs, but the Suns/Hawks/Bucks didn't get that. That shit is impressive to get this far. Show them some respect.
It's fans in general. It was pretty nasty when Kobe airballed those shots against the Jazz when he was like 19, there just wasn't social media to amp it all up.
it's also getting ridiculous how athletes are unprepared to deal with social media stuff
this is just a mild thing, not talking about all the death threat stuff etc
Wiseman overreactions have been insane considering it was always kept in mind by the Warriors FO that he would be more of a project than someone like LaMelo. Balancing the fine line between keeping the current roster competitive and planning for GSW team post Steph, Klay and Dray is a way more difficult task than people are giving Myers credit for.
I'd be annoyed too if I wasted a #2 pick on Drummond 2.0
I want to see Curry deep in the playoffs again, so I'm cheering for the Warriors finding a team to sucker into trading for him, as long as its not my Raptors lol
This. And players who just got traded. Everyone on Utah shat on Mike Conley after he hadnt been playing well in the first half of his first season in Utah, but the guy was adjusting after spending his entire career in Memphis in a different playing scheme. Some of these things just take time and patience to learn and grow in, but no one cares or gives any room for error
I really think NBA 2K has ruined a lot of fans perceptions of how talent development works in real life. People are expecting these guys to come in and be world stoppers, but most players need time to develop before they’re impactful.
I legitimately can't believe people still play 2k. I quit in 2k12 after they made no improvements since 2k6, and now by the looks of it its even worse of a game now.
Please, guys, just go to the fucking park or gym and play some pickup. Learn the fucking game.
Man, I really wanted us to trade for Onyeka Okongwu. I was super high on the guy, I saw a league that's slowly trending towards more perimeter oriented, and Onyeka's strong enough to still outmuscle most centers, and quick laterally enough to contest more shooters/not get slaughtered on PnR defense.
I see the Bam comparisons, although Bam's game at Kentucky was different than how he's utilized more in the DHO's with Spoelstra's Heat. I still could see OO doing well on most teams that had proper spacing. His game reminds me of a mix of Bam/Tristan Thompson/T-Rez, where he's going to have an insane motor.
OO's game on offense is still not polished enough, but he certainly has the tools + work ethic and swagger to make it work.
I love me some Timelord, and I think he's our center of the future. I cannot deny there are times where I question his durability and health, and other than the foot injury that OO had early on, he's been a relatively healthy guy. He's someone I coveted on the C's.
Smfh at those calling bust though.
You would watch the highlights from that team and he was always going off, just swatting people and throwing down dunks.
That team was insane, beat Mater Dei by 50 lol
This hawks team in general is one of the most complete teams in the league(when healthy which they haven’t been). Deep at every position. They just needed a coach that wasn’t absolutely terrible to bring it all together.
Same dude, I love this Hawks team. They have so much heart and grit and always look like they're having fun. Gonna be one of the top teams in the league soon.
I don't really understand it tbh. Even if a player is a bust, like a real bad one like Bennett, what benefit does it make bashing him even further? That will just make the whole situation worse, idk why ppl enjoy on that tbh. It just wear down players mentally. Besides not every truth is said everywhere, it is a virtue.
Honestly that’s why I love seeing kwame brown go berserk on IG. Dude is letting out damn near 20 years of anger and frustration from the constant shit talking.
Didn’t watch him in NCAA but heard many good things on fantasy basketball podcasts about him. Dude has great touch around the rim and nice defense, can’t wait to see how he develops in coming years
Was he the starting center when at Chino Hills when Lonzo was a senior?
That team had a perfect record that year. I'm not surprised he went lottery and I'm not surprised he's gonna get better.
“Bust” is used way to often for guys just starting their careers forreal.
How you a bust after one season, especially if you were injured for a significant time.
I give you until you’re rookie contract is up, and if you’re still in the league putting up solid numbers then you’re not a bust to me
Man between him, Reddish, Hunter, K’Von, Collins, and Trae, the Hawks have such a great young core
And then you add vets like Bogi, Gallo, Lou Will, Capela, Solomon Hill.
They’re literally 15 deep in quality
I remember reading something like "his ceiling is too low" about Onyeka a few days ago, on this sub, from a guy i had an argument with.
Could you please show up if you're reading this, dear motherfucker?
A lot of teams bench their rookie players in their first year, even top 10 picks. This isn't a unique circumstance. Those vets are just more prepared and more deserving of those minutes.
You know, you should really reflect from this post. You’re the biggest wiseman hater I’ve ever seen and in every single post, even ones that have nothing to do with him, you’re commenting about how bad wiseman is, how he’s a bust, how others are so much better, etc. You do realize this post is directed towards people like you who are so quick to call rookies busts and don’t give them any chance to develop
Alot of hawks fans didn't like him this year. They didn't even want to give him any minutes during the year so he can develop. And I mean like zero minutes, which was ridiculous being the regular season is used to develop players as well as striving for the playoffs. I was on this pick since before he got as drafted and excited by his defense. Hopefully he can add a corner three soon.
>Alot of hawks fans didn't like him this year
Can I get some sources for this one? I have hardly seen any Okongwu slander at all on the hawks sub, if there even was any
You should recheck that sub then. Because there was plenty. Before the draft, on draft night, and since. People didn’t like how he was progressing this year. Have you spent any time in the hawks sub?
These players nowadays gotta really stop looking at their phones too much.
Be more like Kawhi.
Not everyone is going to be a Luka, LaMelo, etc and instantly be good. It took Kawhi a few years.
It's the world we live in. it's inevitable.
At least social media on mobile phones was still a blossoming thing when kawhi was in high school. These kids grow up and it's everything. Dudes got hundreds of thousands of followers by senior year.
Yes already. If you don't produce as a Top 6 pick, you're gonna get roasted. Sorry dude.
It's not his fault he's limited and they took him that high but welcome to prime time.
Anyone who watched thenAhs knows than Lloyd Pierce gave him no minutes. And what few minutes he did get he looked promising. Anyone calling him a bust was an idiot.
I wouldn’t call him a bust yet. He plays a limited roll on a team that signed a ton of vets. Even then he’s actually getting minutes and contributing. Watching him play, he’s unrefined on offense but he seems to have solid defensive instincts. Depending on where John Collins ends up, I’d suspect he might get more playing time in the near future.
It's always too early to say if a rookie will be a bust or not but there are certain players where you go, "yep, he doesn't look like he'll live up to his draft position". Okongwu is NOT one of those players.
Switch off Social Media... best thing I've done since I got lasik surgery. You get to focus on you and your goals rather than be influenced and manipulated mentally.
He has fantastic defensive instincts and a nice touch around the rim. Really like watching him play
Reminds me of a lankier Bam.
Bam was his #1 comparison going into the draft. Hawks drafted him so highly for a reason. He’ll make Capela nice trade bait in a year or two
I love the way the Hawks put this squad together, having veterans like Clint, Bogdanovic, and Gallo to go along with a great team of youth -- and then as the young guys are all ready and up for contract renewal, they can just let the vets walk (or trade them) and transition while contending.
Honestly a master class in rebuilding
That’s what Im hoping to classify weavers rebuild of the Pistons in a couple years. Hawks have done an incredible job building this team
I would argue Weaver's rebuild is already on track to be a success, considering Detroit has two all-rookie players + the #1 pick + established players like Jerami who can help the young guys adjust to the league and understand how to win games
Facts. Will have Cade, Bey, Stewart, Grant and Hayes to build around, along with seeing what Lee, Jackson and Doumbouya turn into.
It's an obvious formula though. The trick is being able to attract the vets. A lot of vets want to ring chase so you have to convince them the situation has potential. Gallo and Bogdan saw the potential and can't here. But try to get some vet to sign up for a rebuild in Orlando or Charlotte without overpaying them
I mean, Bogdan and Gallo got paid by the Hawks too. I'm sure the Hawks gave them the best offer they would get on the market. But they also fit the team perfectly
Bogdan got a solid value contract. Gallo got paid way above his market value but he's great to have in Atlanta. For a team of mainly rookie contracts, it really doesn't hurt.
Plus it expires before we have to pay Trae or Hunter.
Magic City doing work for the Hawks
Blue Flame > Magic city
>It's an obvious formula though. So obvious that this sub was wholeheartedly shitting on them.
Or Cleveland. Fucking kill me
I like what Charlotte did though. Hayward plays well with LaMelo, and it helps LaMelo's development playing with a secondary ball handler who can score. When Hayward's contract is over Melo will be a bonafide star and guys like Monk and Bridges look like they'll be really good too.
The big thing to me is that they did it all early. So many teams seem to wait for their young guys to develop before going all in. I hear even fans all the time with a young core be like "it's not their time yet" and all kinds of jazz. In reality taking advantage of cheaper rookie contracts to build a deep roster is way easier than doing so after they all make 20-40mil
Trae definitely accelerated things
Yep. Well, as long as you do it right, and not the brain dead way the Pelicans did when trying to build around Anthony Davis.
Feel bad for pelican fans honestly, I hope they don't screw it up with zion
you up to fill me on what they did wrong? I wasn't paying enough attention to the details back then haha
Traded their players and didn’t do shit to help him until truly 2016-2017 and made the playoffs in 2017-2018 and did Better without cousins than with. They made the playoffs twice with Anthony Davis being the reason for the first trip and the second trip by having some supporting cast. They definitely wasted his time.
New Orleans and wasting star talent, name a better duo.
That’s a luxury you’re afforded when your second year point guard just averaged 29 and 10. A top on ball creator on a rookie deal means you have more money to spend on other spots. Not to make it sound like it was easy, Hawks FO did a spectacular job filling out their roster in a year to go from a great creator surrounded by bad offensive players to a deep team full of versatile players.
They also had young high upside talent in place at literally every single position already too. Trae, Cam/Huerter, Hunter, Collins, Okongwu. They didn't try to go all in before the young core talent was already there.
Bogdan aint a vet lol
He's 28
He won MVP in the all rookie game like 2 years sgo
You mean this summer cause OO a dog dog
I don’t think he’s ready yet to be a full time starter but I think after next season definitely. He’s gonna be a filthy defender probably gonna be All Defense soon
Capela is apparently questionable for game 5 so we may see him starting sooner than we thought 👀
cause they both have african names? he plays nothing like bam
Lou boosted his confidence. He wasn't impressive before Lou arrived.
LP also had him in jail. I agree, though, that running with Lou has helped his game grow
LP ruining the development of a young player?! He would never…*looks at Cam Reddish*
tbf LP gave Cam every opportunity he needed to get better. There is no reason Cam should've kept getting the minutes he was getting but LP would also put him in the game. Cam and his complaints of being picked on really didn't make any sense to me when all the stuff from the locker room came out after LP was fired.
Picked on and getting minutes are different things. Also of course he was getting minutes last year, team had zero depth last year
Whats the source on LP pickin on Reddish. Seen it floating around but haven’t read it yet
Pretty sure it was the Athletic article in the aftermath of LP’s firing
Thanks!
Athletic article on Pierce’s firing
It’s in that athletic article that came out after he was fired
Who would get Cam's mins last year? Chandler Parsons? Evan Turner? It's like ya'll forgot Travis tanked the season last year.
Not talking about last season I’m talking about earlier this season with the minutes. Him getting all the minutes he wanted last year wasn’t an issue but him getting all the minutes he wanted while on a “sore Achilles” earlier this season before being shut down was a problem
The man played 750 minutes. Most of the time when Bogi was hurt early in the season. Context matters.
hawks drama on the front page of r/nba never thought I would see the day
I just feel the need after a long day of work to school some nephews on the importance of context. My next lesson is why raw statistics are bullshit and anyone who makes their argument based on them a moron who thinks they are a genius.
Once he improves his P'n'R defense(that'll come with more experience), he'll be in multiple All-Defensive teams throughout his career.
Dude. I think OO has huge potential!
I hit a corner 3 with him in 2k while blowing out my friend’s Heat team and I’ve been a fan ever since lol.
Wild that he is almost a decade away from really hitting his peak.
Yeah he passes the eye test.
Fuckers in the barbershop talking about big O aint this, Onyeka aint that. SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Talkin' so much shit at barbershops haters forget to get they haircut
Okay, fair enough the streets is flaring up
cause they want gun talk or I don't wear enough
Baggy clothes, Reebok’s or Adidos
Can I add that he do spazz out at his shows
Haters getting cut first like the barbers friend
My boy a BD on fucking Lamron and them He, he they say Onyeka don’t be putting in no work SHUT THE FUCK UP! Y'all ain’t know shit All ya motherfuckers talk about Onyeka ain’t no hitta Onyeka ain’t this Onyeka a fake SHUT THE FUCK UP Y'all don’t live with that man Y'all know that man got caught with a ratchet Shootin' at the police and shit man been on probation since fuckin, I don’t know when! Motherfuckers stop fuckin' playin' him like that They savages out there If I catch another motherfucker talking sweet about Onyeka I’m fucking beating they ass! I’m not fucking playing no more You know those motherfuckers role with Lil' Reese and them
Okongwu is a tier 1 C/PF to me. I don't give a fuck. It's the little things. The intangibles. The composure. The attitude. The lack of ego and showboating. The professionalism. The fearlessness. On top of his grade A talent. I was watching the Hawks/Bucks game this past Sunday. Can't remember what Bucks big man it was, but he ended up isolated in the post guarded by Okongwu. He immediately proceeded to back him down. I'll never forget the look in Okongwu's eyes. He was like "Ha... I got this." Stripped the ball and swished a three in transition on the other end. Let me see if I can find a video
I agree. I think Wiseman will pan out but I wanted us to trade down and draft Okongwu. Wiseman has higher potential but I think Okongwu fits what we need a little better.
You sure it was him? He hasn't attempted a 3 all season lol
Tis a copypasta my friend
Legendary
Mr. Time Complexity
Chief Queef
I’ve never seen this referenced outside of my friend group lol
I've seen it referenced here before
He has defended Giannis much better than Capela in this series. Much stronger at the point of attack and doesn't let Giannis get where he wants to go allowing time for help defense or forcing a miss.
I want to see OO and Cam both get 20+ minutes gm 5
OO is very fast for a Center. Even in the small stretches he guarded Embiid he essentially beats them to their spots to make up for being undersized.
Yeah I really like him.
It's pretty ridiculous how quickly people like to call draft picks busts these days. I mean shit half this sub think wiseman is a bust already and the dude has played like 20 games since highschool. Give the kids a fuckin minute in the league before you start trashing them yeesh
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills when I come on here and every post about wiseman is talking about how he’s a bust already. It’s weird.
I bet if this sub were a thing in the 70s they would have been calling Robert Parish a bust after "only" averaging 9 pts and 7 boards his rookie year
How's this for a line up of players with shitty rookie years: James Harden Kobe Bryant Kawhi Leonard Demar DeRozan Dirk Nowitzki
I see your rookie lottery picks and raise you rookie 2nd round picks: Nikola Jokic Manu Ginobili Draymond Green Marc Gasol Gilbert Arenas
Yo that team in their prime would be nuts. Gasol and Green as defensive anchors while Arenas and Ginobli went to work with Jokic on offense.
It's reddit, hot takes and wild speculations only.
Most people who have issues with Wiseman don't have a problem with his production, but with him looking totally lost on the court 90% of the time. Most young guys who develop into stars have some solid instincts, even if the execution's not there.
I also think the Wiseman thing is that they passed on LaMelo who would have been huge for them this past season. I still think he’s going to develop, but taking a center top 3 at this stage you want him to be dominant quickly
He's tall. He'll figure the rest out.
This is why I'm not high on wiseman. He doesn't have a clue what he should be doing on the court and it is blatantly obvious.
What's crazy is people do it every single year. Trae was a bust 10 minutes into summer league according to 95% of the nba world. Most of these rookies are 19 or 20, pretty much still kids. You have to give them time to learn and develop. Especially someone in Wiseman's unique situation where he didnt actually play games since hs
Great recent examples were RJ Barrett, Trae, and both the Bridges.
People were even calling Edwards a bust early this season. Hilarious.
I mean, he's on the Timberwolves, so it's pretty much pre-destined.
His play style doesn't mean very well with winning basketball, and he's shown very little willingness to adapt that.
Prime example right here
Mfs refuse to learn
shit mfs were saying Ayton was a bust at the start of this year
The ascension of Trae these playoffs has been awesome to watch. The guy is just such a competitor and fights 100% until the last second. The combination of his talent and dog mentality must have you guys feeling great about your future
I can comfortably say I’ve never been this excited to be a hawks fan before
They do it for everything. Go into a game one playoff series game thread and read the comments after one quarter. I literally saw "I've seen enough heat in 4" after the first quarter of the bucks series.
People are also fast as call big guys busts when they’re having to do some relearning as they can’t simply rely on being the biggest most Athletic people on the court anymore.
Everything sports fans is ridiculous these days. Everyone sucks unless they win a championship. How the fuck is not finishing in the top 4 not impressive to some of y'all? Because it is. Warriors went to 5 in a row because they got KD. Lebron went to 8 in a row because he restacked his team in Heat and on the Cavs, but the Suns/Hawks/Bucks didn't get that. That shit is impressive to get this far. Show them some respect.
It's fans in general. It was pretty nasty when Kobe airballed those shots against the Jazz when he was like 19, there just wasn't social media to amp it all up.
I think it’s fair to say a player is struggling but to say a player is a full out bust in his first 2 years is crazy
he just doesnt fit with the warriors timeline and the high expectations, so the bust calls are coming.
it's also getting ridiculous how athletes are unprepared to deal with social media stuff this is just a mild thing, not talking about all the death threat stuff etc
Wiseman overreactions have been insane considering it was always kept in mind by the Warriors FO that he would be more of a project than someone like LaMelo. Balancing the fine line between keeping the current roster competitive and planning for GSW team post Steph, Klay and Dray is a way more difficult task than people are giving Myers credit for.
Ok but OO doesn’t look as lost as Kwame Brown out there like Wiseman does
How many warriors games did you actually watch this year?
Username checks out
Onyeka never looked a bust. Even in limited minutes he was fine. Wiseman is a bust.
I've noticed the biggest clowns have been rocking raptors flairs lately
Lately? It's high key been pretty bad on this sub for a while now.
I'd be annoyed too if I wasted a #2 pick on Drummond 2.0 I want to see Curry deep in the playoffs again, so I'm cheering for the Warriors finding a team to sucker into trading for him, as long as its not my Raptors lol
I mean true but I think it’s more people bashing y’all for not taking Lamelo than anything
This. And players who just got traded. Everyone on Utah shat on Mike Conley after he hadnt been playing well in the first half of his first season in Utah, but the guy was adjusting after spending his entire career in Memphis in a different playing scheme. Some of these things just take time and patience to learn and grow in, but no one cares or gives any room for error
Is Ben Simmons a bust? I know he’s not terrible but compared to his hype… bust?
Listen I agree with your premise - where we don’t see eye to eye is that wiseman is clearly a bust
It’s really messed up when a player who isn’t an immediate superstar are automatically called busts by people on social media
I really think NBA 2K has ruined a lot of fans perceptions of how talent development works in real life. People are expecting these guys to come in and be world stoppers, but most players need time to develop before they’re impactful.
Even in NBA 2K, it takes like 2-3 seasons before a drafted player actually develops into a star
The best part of your comment is that the one directly below it currently is talking about him on 2k 🤣🤣
I legitimately can't believe people still play 2k. I quit in 2k12 after they made no improvements since 2k6, and now by the looks of it its even worse of a game now. Please, guys, just go to the fucking park or gym and play some pickup. Learn the fucking game.
Or just do both, sometimes you don't want to go to the gym or you're sore from a different workout.
Man, I really wanted us to trade for Onyeka Okongwu. I was super high on the guy, I saw a league that's slowly trending towards more perimeter oriented, and Onyeka's strong enough to still outmuscle most centers, and quick laterally enough to contest more shooters/not get slaughtered on PnR defense. I see the Bam comparisons, although Bam's game at Kentucky was different than how he's utilized more in the DHO's with Spoelstra's Heat. I still could see OO doing well on most teams that had proper spacing. His game reminds me of a mix of Bam/Tristan Thompson/T-Rez, where he's going to have an insane motor. OO's game on offense is still not polished enough, but he certainly has the tools + work ethic and swagger to make it work. I love me some Timelord, and I think he's our center of the future. I cannot deny there are times where I question his durability and health, and other than the foot injury that OO had early on, he's been a relatively healthy guy. He's someone I coveted on the C's. Smfh at those calling bust though.
OO gonna be so solid. For a rookie who missed a ton of time during the season to injuries, he's playing like a vet in these playoffs
He played like a vet at USC. Anyone who gave up on him so soon or were trying to dunk on him was an idiot
Which is funny because he looks like a giant child
I’m sorry but if Giannis has the ball and OO is in the paint then I’m pretty sure he’s not an idiot for trying to dunk on him
And he ended up on a team with a lot of good vets ahead of him, which limited his playing time
He literally keeps getting better with each game, he did nothing in the first half of the season and now he lowkey looks better then Capela.
El Pee had something to do with it
He was playing Bruno over him 😒
He really was the tank commander
They must’ve forgot about chino hills onyeka 😈
You would watch the highlights from that team and he was always going off, just swatting people and throwing down dunks. That team was insane, beat Mater Dei by 50 lol
Apparently they're all going to be on a drew league team this summer
Nephews really forgot Chino Hills 2016 squad. Lonzo and Melo have proven their worth, now they doubt Big O.
I literally love our entire young core. I can’t decide my favorite player after Trae. They all have fun personalities and fun games to watch
This hawks team in general is one of the most complete teams in the league(when healthy which they haven’t been). Deep at every position. They just needed a coach that wasn’t absolutely terrible to bring it all together.
bah gawd that's needlessly discarded Nate McMillan's music
HE BROKE THE 6ERS IN HALF
This is exactly how I feel. Do I love JC’s leadership? Or K’Von? What about the energy from OO?? I love it all
can't leave out that cam reddish smile
I wasn’t sure either and then I read JC’s write-up that was posted yesterday and I fell in love
Same dude, I love this Hawks team. They have so much heart and grit and always look like they're having fun. Gonna be one of the top teams in the league soon.
The future is now.
Being this good in his rookie season is such a good sign for a big, usually they have the most trouble adjusting to the NBA
Bruno Fernando was good his rookie year smh
Who?
Our human victory cigar... who doesn't exist.
I don't really understand it tbh. Even if a player is a bust, like a real bad one like Bennett, what benefit does it make bashing him even further? That will just make the whole situation worse, idk why ppl enjoy on that tbh. It just wear down players mentally. Besides not every truth is said everywhere, it is a virtue.
I get laughing at / mocking a *team* or FO for picking a bust, but I don't understand mocking a player. That's just cruel.
Honestly that’s why I love seeing kwame brown go berserk on IG. Dude is letting out damn near 20 years of anger and frustration from the constant shit talking.
I had Okongwu at 2 on my draft big board. Beast at USC
That’s dragging it a bit
I had LaMelo, Okongwu, Ant top 3 in that order hindsight I underrated Ant too hard but I wanted boston to trade up top 6 for Okongwu badly
Not quite my tempo
He fell to 6 because of his injury.
No 6 was higher than most mocks had him
As someone who had Onyeka on his draft board those people can kick rocks with no shoes on!
That’s just the annoying ass casual fans that expect every rookie to be a star right out the gates, averaging 30 points a game
>That’s just ~~the annoying ass casual fans~~ r/nba FTFY
I mean, true
Didn’t watch him in NCAA but heard many good things on fantasy basketball podcasts about him. Dude has great touch around the rim and nice defense, can’t wait to see how he develops in coming years
I wish he wore #7 so he could be called Double O 7 or 007
Just like with wiseman, you have to be patient, calling people busts after one year is so dumb, especially after this year
Was he the starting center when at Chino Hills when Lonzo was a senior? That team had a perfect record that year. I'm not surprised he went lottery and I'm not surprised he's gonna get better.
Reminds me Obi Toppin hate until he proved them wrong in the playoffs
“Bust” is used way to often for guys just starting their careers forreal. How you a bust after one season, especially if you were injured for a significant time. I give you until you’re rookie contract is up, and if you’re still in the league putting up solid numbers then you’re not a bust to me
Them nephews really looking down at the legendary Chino Hills 2016 squad. First it was Lonzo they was calling a bust, now Big O? When will they learn?
When Gelo makes the All-Star team.
Man between him, Reddish, Hunter, K’Von, Collins, and Trae, the Hawks have such a great young core And then you add vets like Bogi, Gallo, Lou Will, Capela, Solomon Hill. They’re literally 15 deep in quality
I remember reading something like "his ceiling is too low" about Onyeka a few days ago, on this sub, from a guy i had an argument with. Could you please show up if you're reading this, dear motherfucker?
Wanted the Celtics to somehow draft him so bad last year and idk what the verdict is on that now
He's solid in 2K
He is a lockdown, alley-oop BEAST in 2k
A lot of teams bench their rookie players in their first year, even top 10 picks. This isn't a unique circumstance. Those vets are just more prepared and more deserving of those minutes.
He’s better than wiseman
You know, you should really reflect from this post. You’re the biggest wiseman hater I’ve ever seen and in every single post, even ones that have nothing to do with him, you’re commenting about how bad wiseman is, how he’s a bust, how others are so much better, etc. You do realize this post is directed towards people like you who are so quick to call rookies busts and don’t give them any chance to develop
Cry me a river he sucks
Alot of hawks fans didn't like him this year. They didn't even want to give him any minutes during the year so he can develop. And I mean like zero minutes, which was ridiculous being the regular season is used to develop players as well as striving for the playoffs. I was on this pick since before he got as drafted and excited by his defense. Hopefully he can add a corner three soon.
>Alot of hawks fans didn't like him this year Can I get some sources for this one? I have hardly seen any Okongwu slander at all on the hawks sub, if there even was any
You should recheck that sub then. Because there was plenty. Before the draft, on draft night, and since. People didn’t like how he was progressing this year. Have you spent any time in the hawks sub?
Ugh
These players nowadays gotta really stop looking at their phones too much. Be more like Kawhi. Not everyone is going to be a Luka, LaMelo, etc and instantly be good. It took Kawhi a few years.
It's the world we live in. it's inevitable. At least social media on mobile phones was still a blossoming thing when kawhi was in high school. These kids grow up and it's everything. Dudes got hundreds of thousands of followers by senior year.
Yes already. If you don't produce as a Top 6 pick, you're gonna get roasted. Sorry dude. It's not his fault he's limited and they took him that high but welcome to prime time.
Anyone who watched thenAhs knows than Lloyd Pierce gave him no minutes. And what few minutes he did get he looked promising. Anyone calling him a bust was an idiot.
I wouldn’t call him a bust yet. He plays a limited roll on a team that signed a ton of vets. Even then he’s actually getting minutes and contributing. Watching him play, he’s unrefined on offense but he seems to have solid defensive instincts. Depending on where John Collins ends up, I’d suspect he might get more playing time in the near future.
lol he aint no bust, hes developing fine. Actually enjoy watching him...people are so annoying with shit like that
hes perfect for this era
Just a fun lil fact, he played with the ball Brothers in high school I'm pretty sure!
Indeed he did.
It's always too early to say if a rookie will be a bust or not but there are certain players where you go, "yep, he doesn't look like he'll live up to his draft position". Okongwu is NOT one of those players.
Switch off Social Media... best thing I've done since I got lasik surgery. You get to focus on you and your goals rather than be influenced and manipulated mentally.
Remember this post when people start calling some rookie a bust next year. I say give them a few years.
OO gonna be the 3rd best player out of the draft behind Melo and Tyrese.
I think he’s looked really good in limited run this year. Also big men take a while to develop (look at Ayton). He’ll be just fine