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Zach Lowe on Trevor Booker

latin jazz

latin jazz

Well-Known Member
IMO one of the most respected sportswriter out there. This is from an article on NBA bigs' role and value. Here is what he had to say about Trevor Booker:

Booker’s minutes fluctuated in Washington, and he’s the exact sort of player we’re talking about here; he’s listed at just 6-foot-7, and he’s made just one triple in four seasons. Consensus around the league is that the Jazz overpaid a bit, but this is a fine deal. Booker doesn’t do the sexy power forward things the league increasingly expects, but the Jazz are a bad team paying to see if he might be better than the league anticipates.

Booker is a bouncy dude who cuts hard to the rim and has shown flashes, both in college and Washington, of being an effective ball mover. He has a decent stroke, and a team with good player development might invest in teaching Booker the corner 3. In talking to coaches and GMs over the last month, it’s clear we’ll see more teams pushing the corner 3 on bigs — the Chris Bosh–Serge Ibaka route. There could be some surprising names experimenting with the corner 3 as early as this season.
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With the Jazz new emphasis on scouting and player development It is quite likely they are trying to do this... pick up a role player with a nice stroke and develop his 3point shoot (SA model). Someone already posted stats about Booker mid-range game and it was quite impressive.

https://grantland.com/features/the-nbas-bigs-problem/
 
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Booker wanted a bigger contract and envisioned himself as a starter. In reality, he's going to have to accept a bench role going forward; he just doesn't have the size or talent to be a starter. But he could be a fantastic player off the bench. WE need guys like this: good role players on decent contracts. Also need guys who want to stay with Utah because they like playing under Quin. I know Snyder is moving up, but I hope he's able to maintain great relationships with players while at the same time being able to move on when the Jazz need to improve at certain positions. It's a tough line to walk - much easier as an assistant when you can use the fallback that you didn't have input in personnel decisions.
 
After reading this article, if I'm Kanter, I get really worried. Kanter can't pass, he hasn't shown he can shoot the three, and he can't defend the rim. So, what exactly is he? Kris Humphries? Yikes. Hump is making, what, 3-4 million this year?

I think Favors is set as our starter. I think the other big will come down to Kanter or Booker, whoever can show they can stretch the defense with their shooting and passing. The problem is, Booker can pass but can't shoot. Kanter may be able to shoot, but can't pass.
 
green said:
After reading this article, if I'm Kanter, I get really worried. Kanter can't pass, he hasn't shown he can shoot the three, and he can't defend the rim. So, what exactly is he? Kris Humphries? Yikes. Hump is making, what, 3-4 million this year?

I think Favors is set as our starter. I think the other big will come down to Kanter or Booker, whoever can show they can stretch the defense with their shooting and passing. The problem is, Booker can pass but can't shoot. Kanter may be able to shoot, but can't pass.
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In fairness, Kanter hasn't shown that he CAN'T shoot the three either, based on his one attempt per season.
 
nightmare3983 said:
In fairness, Kanter hasn't shown that he CAN'T shoot the three either, based on his one attempt per season.
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Neither has Booker either. Either way, as a big, if this article is correct, there is either HUGE money for those that can pass, block shots and hit threes, or no money if you can't. If I'm Kanter, I haven't proven I can do any of those things. He is looking at anywhere between 10-65 million dollars he is playing for. That is a HUGE swing.
 
AST% isn't everything, but for all this talk of Trevor Booker being a ball mover, Kanter posted a better AST% last year. Kanter is also a better rebounder; furthermore, Kanter is 22, not undersized, and our draft pick, whereas Booker will be 27 at the beginning of the season, etc.

Very shocking how many of you believe whole heartedly that the organization has turned their back on the kid for a role player.
 
[size/HUGE] fixed [/size];885743 said:
lol
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I'm just saying, Booker doesn't have Diaw, Love, or Griffin passing ability. Sure, he is better than Kanter has been at that, but Kanter was trending upward at season's end, and it is crazy to think he won't get better, etc.
 
Kanter is also a better rebounder; furthermore, Kanter is 22, not undersized, and our draft pick, whereas Booker will be 27 at the beginning of the season, etc.

Very shocking how many of you believe whole heartedly that the organization has turned their back on the kid for a role player.
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It's idiotic to say if I was Kanter Id be worried,why ? Booker is smaller ,not as good as scorer or rebounder AND Kanter knows Booker was signed to be a role player.

The only fanz who say Booker would take Kanter's starting spot are the same fanz that are surprised Gobert improved from age 21 to 22,are the same fanz who think that Hayward doesn't have a chance to make the USA team. These same guys think that Kanter can't get better from age 21 to 22 as well .
 
Kanter's last 16 assists.

https://on.nba.com/1npFIbs

https://on.nba.com/1npGntr

https://on.nba.com/1o9XUff

https://on.nba.com/1o9Y7iC

https://on.nba.com/1npHTvG

https://on.nba.com/1npI4ai

https://on.nba.com/1npIf5n Portland game. Videos are totally wrong plays Don't watch

https://on.nba.com/1npIPQD


Lots of handoff assists. Post double team awkward pass out assists. Couple nice cutter assists. May look at Booker's last few games.

EDIT: Here are all of Kanter's assists.

https://on.nba.com/1npJOAp
 
Sexual Favors said:
AST% isn't everything, but for all this talk of Trevor Booker being a ball mover, Kanter posted a better AST% last year.
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That's because Kanter had the ball a lot when he was on the floor.

Kanter shot 11.37 field goals per assist last season. Booker shot 6.30 field goals per assist last season. This despite Kanter having the offense run through him more frequently (one would guess this would make Booker a finisher more frequently when he got the ball).

Of the 190 players who played 1500+ minutes last season, only 5 took more shots per assist than Kanter.
 
GVC said:
That's because Kanter had the ball a lot when he was on the floor.

Kanter shot 11.37 field goals per assist last season. Booker shot 6.30 field goals per assist last season. This despite Kanter having the offense run through him more frequently (one would guess this would make Booker a finisher more frequently when he got the ball).

Of the 190 players who played 1500+ minutes last season, only 5 took more shots per assist than Kanter.
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Good analysis, but to you and Darkwing, I've already conceded that Booker is a better passer. I knew that before I posted what I posted. Just because Booker is a better passer, doesn't make him a great passer, or a significant threat. Booker is 26 (will be 27), and posted career high minutes of 21 per contest last year. Believing that we signed him as our PF of the future is ludicrous and biased.

Booker was signed to light a fire under Enes, not to replace him.
 
First glance at Booker vs. Kanter passing is Booker is looking to pass. Booker hasn't done anything amazing in his passes, but generally makes the right decision. As I type that, a nice interior pass by Booker. Don't see any tight passes by Kanter. He'll make them if they're obvious. Booker isn't an offensive threat, obviously. But Booker can definitely pass. He'd be good in Sloan's flex at the high post/elbow.

EDIT:

Basically, he's not afraid of passing like Kanter seems to be.
 
So Kanter is Big Al with a better fan club?
 
apples and oranges unless / until you put them in the same environment.
Kanter is a better player in almost every aspect of the game or so I tend to believe but I like Booker.
I liked him when he was @ college, too.
I'll have to wait and make up my own mind about this new comparison.
 
Tarkanian said:
apples and oranges unless / until you put them in the same environment.
Kanter is a better player in almost every aspect of the game or so I tend to believe but I like Booker.
I liked him when he was @ college, too.
I'll have to wait and make up my own mind about this new comparison.
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For all the Booker love on this board he reminds me of a rich man's version of Dominic McGuire who was in training camp last fall. They are about the same size and have had similar stats in the league. The difference is Booker is more costly.
 
Sexual Favors said:
Believing that we signed him as our PF of the future is ludicrous and biased.
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Who believes this? Booker may complement Favors and the starting perimeter players better than Kanter; he may be a better option starting right now.

As green pointed out, Kanter needs to figure out how he can fit in today's NBA. When I had access to the mysynergysports data, I compiled a bunch of the team stats from 2012/13, and took a closer look. If you get rid of transition opportunities and put-backs (and the "all other plays" category), essentially leaving you with primary halfcourt possessions, you see that off-ball offense (spot-ups, pick and roll roll man, cuts, off screens and hand offs) is about 25% (1.0 v. 0.8 points per possession) more effective than on-ball offense (post ups, isos and pick and roll ball handler). Still, the lower bound on percentage of halfcourt possessions that ended with an on-ball shot/turnover was 38.5% (the Spurs)...NBA defenses are good. Teams that don't make good decisions once they've bent the defense, don't score in the halfcourt. Kanter has yet to show that he can make quick or correct reads and make precise passes. He's never going to amount to much if he doesn't figure this out.
 
LogGrad98 said:
So Kanter is Big Al with a better fan club?
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It could be said that Kanter's NBA career is Big Al-esque right now, but that has more to do with how he has been used, rather than what he has potential for. Also, Al was a year older and played 600 or something more minutes his first three years.

I think it is more appropriate to look at Kanter as a big ball of talented clay. After all, he is still five months younger than rookies like Doug Mcdermott...
 
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