# How is Telfair doing



## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

for you guys? Is he really a bust?


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

BEEZ said:


> for you guys? Is he really a bust?


Definately not a bust... he may not ever live up to the hype but many players dont.

He still makes a few mistakes, but he has looked pretty good... very very quick and when his head is in the game his passing is very direct, he has great handles and can score a few points (all be it on a low percentage at the moment), his turnovers are relatively low aswell.

Im hoping once Foye is back we can move Jaric somewhere and let Bassy be the primary back up.

8.4 / 2 / 4.6 at the moment in around 25 a game, so while not spectacular hes at least been solid.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

He's been ok, but he still has a lot of work to do if he's going to stick in the league.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Still the same Telfair, just with more minutes.


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

He looks better then he did previously


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## Zuca (Dec 4, 2003)

Why Telfair isn't playing? Is he injured?


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Telfair sprained an ankle in the Sacramento game, and missed three games since then. He is to have an MRI Monday.

As for his play, he has been a pleasant surprise to me, but he has not proved that he can be a starting NBA point guard, either. His shooting is subpar--40% on the season, and less than 30% from 3pt range. And while his quickness getting to the rim is really excellent, he is a shockingly bad finisher once he's there. His passing--and more specifically, willingness to pass--has been nice, as he is very good about getting the ball down to Jefferfson. His assist-to-turnover ratio is an outstanding 3.2, easily the best of his career. And he has been a willing, if (due to size reasons) not always an able defender.

I don't think there is any doubt whatsoever that he has proved he's an NBA point guard; but he has not answered questions about what level of NBA point guard he's going to be, and how much he deserves to be paid for it. The party line out of the Wolves management is that they intend to re-sign him, but I guess we'll see. It seems like a stretch to pay him over what he makes now, which is $2.5 million, or to give him a long-term deal unless there are team options every season.

Anyone who hyped him when he was in high school is an idiot, but pretty much anyone who hypes pretty much any high schooler is an idiot.


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## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

luther said:


> Anyone who hyped him when he was in high school is an idiot, but pretty much anyone who hypes pretty much any high schooler is an idiot.


I think this isnt a fair comment


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

BEEZ said:


> I think this isnt a fair comment


It really isn't. Why was anyone who hyped him as a high schooler an idiot? Bassy killed everybody who matched up with him in High School and was one of the better ball-handlers to come out of high school in a long time. He still hasn't learned how to shoot, and he is still on the small side which are the two biggest factors for which he has struggled.


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## Boob-No-More (Apr 24, 2006)

luther said:


> Anyone who hyped him when he was in high school is an idiot, but pretty much anyone who hypes pretty much any high schooler is an idiot.


Does that broad generalization include everyone who hyped LeBron when he was in high school? Garnett? Kobe?

Fact is, some guys live up to (or exceed) the hype. Some guys don't.

BNM


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Fair comment? My ***. This message board rarely has a fair comment. Nobody on this board seems to have such a concern over the fairness of criticizing players. I'd say that comment--criticizing the people who VERY UNFAIRLY put pressure on high school kids to perform to other people's certain expectations--is more fair than the kind of comments that those expectations lead to.

What I mean by that sentence is this. Fans and media over-hype players, leading to a backlash of how those players somehow failed to live up to expectations--expectations based on hype they had nothing to do with in the first place. 

Example: 1) Bassy is going to be the next great NYC point guard; 2) Bassy turns out to be a pro, but not a star; 3) Bassy is a bust, etc. How's that for fair? That's the kind of bull**** this board is full of. So me criticizing the unfair hype is "not fair," but the bull**** hype is fair? Please...gain a little perspective. Whom is it more fair to criticize and comment on?


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Boob-No-More said:


> Does that broad generalization include everyone who hyped LeBron when he was in high school? Garnett? Kobe?
> 
> Fact is, some guys live up to (or exceed) the hype. Some guys don't.
> 
> BNM


You missed the point. The idiocy comes in from making bold predictions of children, not from being right or wrong in those predictions. It didn't take any particular insight to see that LeBron, KG and Kobe would be great. But the same people who hype those players are the ones who hyped Leon Smith, DeAngelo Collins, Lenny Cooke, etc. Hyping kids at all is what makes one an idiot. (Making money off hyping kids, which I hadn't discussed yet but deserves its own thread somewhere, is worse.)


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## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

luther said:


> Hyping kids at all is what makes one an idiot.


Once again this is not a factual statement.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

BEEZ said:


> Once again this is not a factual statement.


Obviously. It's an opinion that I explained above. And I look forward to you quoting the previous sentence and saying it isn't a factual statement. 

But--just for fun--you might want to consider actually saying something of substance instead of your cute little refutations.


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## Zuca (Dec 4, 2003)

Seems like Telfair is going to make the same mistake his cousin done...

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/51561/20080323/telfair_id_love_ny_gig/

If I was Telfair, even being a NYC guy, I would much rather stay in Minny than going to NY to be burned. Like Marbury must have stayed with KG at that time.

Thoughts?


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

What do you think Telfair would say in such an interview? It's no different than Szczerbiak always said. Anyone would do the same: hometown, sure. I'd play there. Lifelong dream. Blah blah. He'll play in the place that gives him the best combo of cash and playing time, with chance to win figured in. Just like everyone else.


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## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

luther said:


> Obviously. It's an opinion that I explained above. And I look forward to you quoting the previous sentence and saying it isn't a factual statement.
> 
> But--just for fun--you might want to consider actually saying something of substance instead of your cute little refutations.


In the manner that you typed it, it comes off as if you are saying a factual comment. You said "ANYONE". You didnt say I feel, or I believe that ANYONE. Now the reason for my cute little refutations if you will is based off of what you said. Nothing more, nothing less.


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

My thoughts on Telfair, from the limited times I've seen him this year, is that even at his young age, he'd be a solid point guard if he just decided he would never shoot from outside of 18 feet.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Dornado said:


> My thoughts on Telfair, from the limited times I've seen him this year, is that even at his young age, he'd be a solid point guard if he just decided he would never shoot from outside of 18 feet.


The problem is that a point guard who can't--and even if he can't, who won't--shoot when he's open from the outside is putting his team in a hole from the get-go, because his defender will sag to defend the drive and to double-team elsewhere. So even while he's a mediocre-to-bad outside shooter, he has to shoot. And if he doesn't dramatically improve that aspect of his game, it means he probably can't be a really legit starter. 

The only long-term starting PGs I can think of who shot so poorly (off the top of my head, anyway) were Nate McMillan and Muggsy Bogues. And McMillan was such a defensive beast, he almost made up for it that way. Bogues could really push the tempo and got other guys really easy shots, which, while Bassy is improving, he doesn't do yet.


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