LOL sorry fellas just got excited seeing my guy ball out and getting the points and FG exactly right was the cherry on top
As President and CEO I’m taking applications from others to join The NSJr Fan Club.
Good performance by Miller and NSJ. The rest, meh. We’ve got until 10/31 to pick up the options for 24-25 on Bouknight and Kai. We probably will on Kai, but Bouknight, I just don’t see improvement. He should at least be where NSJ is. I think it’s time to cut bait.
I’d be happy to let both go.
Bouknight should 100% be gone. Bryce is way ahead, NSJ looks better already, I think Bailey does too … low bar to clear, I know. It’s arguably harmful having Bouknight on the roster this season, as I do not want him eating a single minute from the above three guys, either with the Hornets or the Swarm.
Kai’s spot will be taken by Nnaji next season. Frankly, Richards will probably have a battle on his hands to keep his spot in the rotation vs Nnaji with another year of development overseas.
Didn’t watch the game but watched the YouTube highlights of Nick and miller. I really notice nsj size. He is going to be trouble if he fills in.
One thing I noticed on the highlights was no dribble handoffs and decent purposeful passing. Amazing what happens when you play actual basketball.
Oh and miller has the ingredients to be a really really good offensive player. I don’t think it’s ridiculous to hold tmac type offensive player in the projections. Not saying it’s likely but it’s possible.
put wrist bands on him and 15-20lbs of muscle and see if you can see him in a #41 Hornets jersey in 3-4 years.
NSJ will spend a good amount of time in charlotte this year.
See ya later, good(bouk)night. I think James Bouknight will have a great career…playing in china or Europe.
Who knows what kind of trajectory Miller and NSJ will have? I’ll stand by it, who knows? NSJ and Miller could be special players.
Aside from putting on size, I want to see NSJ develop more awareness/vision. I don’t know if he’ll ever get to the level required of a combo guard, my hope is Bailey will, but if he can just ‘see’ open shooters at the 3 point line when he’s setting himself up for a drive, that would be great. I noticed Miller was completely open for a catch and shoot 3, with an unobstructed line of sight, an NSJ didn’t pass it. That would be a very welcome step in the right direction. Maybe it was the Summer League, 30 point fever affecting him?
The first line of this really made me chuckle.
I share the thinking. Miller’s floor is 3rd option, most likely outcome is a 2nd option, with the ceiling being 1st option (though this will require significant gains in burst/power & strength/size).
Which would make him a very good basketball player. I just don’t think he’s going to be the next PG13 or Tatum.
I don’t either, and that was always my issue with drafting him at #2. Yours too, I know.
Still, we have a very good shooting, good passing, defensively aware/engaged 6’9" wing on our roster. He’ll almost certainly start at the 3 next season, maybe take over after the break this season, and will help space the floor and open lanes for LaMelo. That’s a good outcome/reward for the injury plagued year we endured.
You’re right, he’s not the next PG13 or Tatum, he’s the next Kevin Durant (I’m joking don’t murder me powell)
People think I hate miller. I don’t! I just can’t ignore the detractors from his game.
But I still think he’ll be a very good player-not an all star.
And I think that NSJ (and maybe Amari Bailey) has the raw talent and fire to also be a very good player. Maybe nearly as good as Miller.
I said these things well before the NSJ coming out party last night.
THOSE TWO MOVES LATE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER BY NSJ?!?!! SWAG ON SWAG ON SWAG.
It’s also summer league so it may not really mean anything.
all-NBA over reach, but looking like an all-star caliber prospect. Given our lack of stars this century, .
Miller needs strong personal belief and a very Thick skin if going to take until 4th year to become at least Middleton-like.
The mantra Summer League means nothing… or nothing grand, always holds true.
But this particular summer league game seemed very important in perhaps clarifying a few things, sorting out or separating the young prospects, and calming the fears of another 2021 draft class failure. At least for the hyperbolic, hot take, clickbait crowds.
Miller has shown is all around skill throughout the games, but there hadn’t been an “aha!, we really got one!” moment yet. So now he has his statement game, showing his smooth shooting touch from deep, a nice midrange floater game, ball handling ability to make compound moves to get to his spots, his athleticism, his patience with the ball, passing vision.
Will it get Bill Simmons to shut the hell up? No, nothing ever will. But nobody’s here to please that homerific hater from the harbor.
But everyone else now can see the vision, the fit. The potential to be a big time scoring, impact on the game type player, especially once he starts building strength.
Nick Smith Jr., while we all can admit he has tunnel vision sometimes, seeing all the tools he has in his bag was one of the most exciting summer time things I’ve seen. We’ve always wanted a Lou Williams/Jamal Crawford guy on our team, looks like we potentially have one.
But the thing that stood out was the confidence at the end. He knew he could take his guy at any moment, and wasn’t afraid to attack. The anti-Bouk moment where he forever separated himself from that level.
I know the Hornets are probably putting him at lead guard specifically to work on a skill set he doesn’t have. To start getting reps at looking for others, setting other guys up.
He’s not there by any means at all, but it takes reps to build habits. Watching film will help, I think he can learn to increase his field of vision. But what you can’t learn is being an aggressive, natural born scorer, and looks like we got one with high potential.
On the opposite end, I think we’ve reached the final conclusion for Bouk. I’m not one of those body language people, as sometimes people appear to have resting bitch face, or just move at a different pace. I don’t think Bouk pouts as much as we think, but he also never ever ever plays with any kind of energy. There’s no exuberance, no joy to his game.
It’s like he relies on hitting a shot to give him energy, but if he can’t hit a shot, then theres no other heat source that can raise his blood temperature to the caring level. No sacrificing his body for anything, sacrificing shots to get ball movement.
I think NSJ sealed Bouk’s fate. Definitely not going to pick up his option, but very well may be cut before the season.
Really good post. I especially agree that I’d part ways before the season. We need to focus on developing Bryce, NSJ & Bailey (maybe, hopefully Theo too). Let’s not waste any more time, effort or energy on Bouknight.
I think Bouknight will stay around until he can be used as salary filler on a trade. Wether it be before the season or at the deadline. That’s his only value at the moment as I see it.
Bouknight isn’t going .we have all ready picked up his option for this season at all most 5 million. Kai’s is locked in around 2 million all so. Thor is the one with out a contract. We need to do a trade for someone . Just to move a few of thease guys. I must have been way off base saying chill with Bridges and PJ . Thinking we could match thair offer . Neither guy got a decent offer. That just blows my brain. SO where do we go from hear. . Do we wait til next season. Or do we try to be conpetive this year. I have no idea where the team is trying to get too. If managenent just give us a clue I think we could learn to accept it. Not knowing is what is driving me crazy. Not knowing a drection we going drives me crazy.
Yes you did. And you said that Jr and the other guy will most likely be better than Miller.
I said I’d rather have Bouk than Jr and the other guy.
All of this was after 1 or 2 games.
Truth is I don’t know and neither do you, haha. I’d take anything if we would just win.
I see you typing Founding. I’m sure it’s all love.
Really? My post was flagged? What did I do wrong? I corrected someone that misquoted me? I can’t call someone a twerp?