What's new

Bill Simmons/chad ford podcast

Interesting because I thought Bill Simmons was down on Exum during the draft. He sounds pretty positive here, at least bouncing off Ford.

One specific complaint he had was that Exum "went into hiding" basketball-wise for the last year. Hello, Bill, it's called Australia...it's in the southern hemisphere and the school year is different. He wasn't "in hiding," he was "attending the prom" and "graduating high school" in December 2013.

It's called acting, playing a role and catering up to the audience, so mindless xenophobic american hillbillys don't block the telephone line at ESPN while screaming 'MURICA into the phone repeatedly while foam's coming out of their mouths.

I dunno, he's a very raw player, but you can really see how talented he is. I would have been real happy if we had drafted him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_BOkyq_H3E


+1

Quite possibly the most overrated player in the NBA right now. I think I could put up 6 and 4 in the Eastern Conference. He gets a highlight on SportsCenter every once in a while, but he plays for the Bucks. Nobody watches the Bucks. He probably had less visibility last year than Exum.

And here we have subject #1 of the guys that I've described above.


If some ignorants knew what skillset Giannis had last year at the draft, the year before and compare that to where he is now, let me tell you:
You make yourselves look bad.
You have an almost unique body: Tell me which other player can handle the ball and move his body as dynamically like Giannis does who's 6'11 in shoes. Durant may be in that size region but I don't know anyone else in the league. Even Anthony Davis doesn't move as fluidly and he sure doesn't have his ball skills even though Davis' are impressive as well for a player his size.

If he continues to capitalize on his physical gifts, he'll become scaring good.
He's super coachable, wants to play defense, never play AAU a single second in his life, could make the Spurs roster in a heartbeat.
 
Why didn't he get more burn on such a bad team?
 
Giannis is insanely physically gifted, and has some really nice ability for such a young/raw player. He has a chance to be a game-changer on both ends of the court for sure.

I remember feeling that same way about AK in 2002. If The Greek Freak can be mentally tougher than AK, then the Bucks will be very very lucky.
 
he spent the last 5 or so months in the US with a trainer working on his game every day, as per locke's most recent interview.
Good to know
 
There is alot to like about giannis.

Who will be the better player in 5 years? Exum or giannis?
 
We are told the Jazz have one of the strongest international scouting teams it would surprise me to see them having overlooked Gianni's. One thing that may have screwed this all up is Tyrone Corbin's love fest with trey Burke. Really impressed with the Giannis highlights, looked like a mirror image to Durrant only better defensively. But that is probably a small sample size to base any accurate judgment upon
 
We are told the Jazz have one of the strongest international scouting teams it would surprise me to see them having overlooked Gianni's. One thing that may have screwed this all up is Tyrone Corbin's love fest with trey Burke. Really impressed with the Giannis highlights, looked like a mirror image to Durrant only better defensively. But that is probably a small sample size to base any accurate judgment upon
Corbined again
 
Exum has a first step that's compared to Kobe's. I've read "the fastest first step since Kobe." I can't wait to see him play.
 
Guys like Kobe and MJ have a mental toughness, competitiveness and confidence that just puts them at a higher level than everyone else. Teams think Exum has that edge.

Let's add work ethic too. Will Dante get to the gym to lift weights at 6:30 in the morning before practice? Will he stay late and shoot 200 three pointers and 200 free throws? You get the point. Kobe and MJ had that mental toughness, yes, but it was their work ethic that helped allow for such great execution on the court.
 
Let's add work ethic too. Will Dante get to the gym to lift weights at 6:30 in the morning before practice? Will he stay late and shoot 200 three pointers and 200 free throws? You get the point. Kobe and MJ had that mental toughness, yes, but it was their work ethic that helped allow for such great execution on the court.

I certainly hope so. There is this from him...

"I knew I had to get better with my court awareness, make sure my ball handling was sharp, learn how to shoot with confidence," he says. "I can't even count how many shots I would take; but I went through it because I knew the end result. I got to a point where I was so tired and exhausted I didn't want to do anything. I would basically go to the gym, come back home, fall asleep, then get up and do it again the next day." The Statue of Liberty appears in the distance, and Dante takes a picture with his phone. He studies it, then, after a pause, surveys the real thing. He seems slightly disappointed by what he sees. "It's not that it's not big," he says, gesturing at the monument. "It just looks bigger in the movies." Rolling Stone
 
Back
Top