utahjazz107
Active Member
ESPN published an insider article on who player each rookie should study.
Kanter got Marc Gasol
Burks got James Harden
Kanter is a big bull of a man, strong and thick, and that's how he plays. Gasol is also a bull, but there is a ballet dancer inside who uses footwork, craft and smarts. That's what makes him such a brilliant player -- he can pound opponents or use his size to help create solid scoring or rebounding angles, and then rely on his more graceful gifts to finish the play off.
Gasol is also a top-five center in assist rate, using passes to exploit an extended defense, thus creating better scoring chances for himself, too. Kanter is listed 83rd out of 83 power forwards in assist rate, so watching how Gasol alertly scans the floor before making a move will pay off.
Burks loves to slash and has some talent as a driver, that much is sure. But most of the time NBA players have to read and react, not attack then read. No player has had a better feel for that since his first day as a pro than Harden.
Always quick, but never rushing into danger, Harden is a great threat as a scorer and a passer since he takes the time to see the game as it plays out. It helps him to anticipate, too, which is something Burks would benefit from greatly. If Burks can learn to shoot like Harden, well, that would be an even greater gift.
Kanter got Marc Gasol
Burks got James Harden
Kanter is a big bull of a man, strong and thick, and that's how he plays. Gasol is also a bull, but there is a ballet dancer inside who uses footwork, craft and smarts. That's what makes him such a brilliant player -- he can pound opponents or use his size to help create solid scoring or rebounding angles, and then rely on his more graceful gifts to finish the play off.
Gasol is also a top-five center in assist rate, using passes to exploit an extended defense, thus creating better scoring chances for himself, too. Kanter is listed 83rd out of 83 power forwards in assist rate, so watching how Gasol alertly scans the floor before making a move will pay off.
Burks loves to slash and has some talent as a driver, that much is sure. But most of the time NBA players have to read and react, not attack then read. No player has had a better feel for that since his first day as a pro than Harden.
Always quick, but never rushing into danger, Harden is a great threat as a scorer and a passer since he takes the time to see the game as it plays out. It helps him to anticipate, too, which is something Burks would benefit from greatly. If Burks can learn to shoot like Harden, well, that would be an even greater gift.
