Diamond Stone to play on the Summer league Team

[Peoriabird]

 

[Flight]

This should be the most interesting summer league we've had in a long time 

[Peoriabird]

http://www.ajc.com/sports/basketball/plan-for-stone-play-summer-league-with-hawks/EWLalHTV1L5FGJ5brfl0sM/

[DrReality]

Great chance for he and Collins to begin playing together.  Like to see them mature into a dominant force. 

[MCVicious]

I hope he grew out of some of his weaknesses from college by now (work ethic, effort, immaturity, inconsistency). Does not sound like the type of player Bud wants to babysit. 

Quote

Strengths: Smooth freshman big with nice combination of size, strength and skill ... Very sure-handed player, catches almost every pass thrown his way ... Can snatch rebounds away from opponents' in traffic ... Has a very long reach (7'3.5" wingspan) ... Well put together physically at 6'11" and 255 lbs ... Solid athlete with a quick second jump ... Runs the floor well for a big man ... Possesses good footwork in the post ... His drop step is a very capable go-to move at the next level ... Already developed a good range of interior offense ... Understands how to finish below the rim well ... Has a great blend of strength and agility to his game ... Will often take advantage of a mismatch by playing "Bully Ball" against smaller defenders ... Good free throw shooter shooting at an 80 percent clip ... Has shown that he is also a threat in pick and pop plays ... Nice form on his shooting mechanics could possibly extend range to NBA three with practice... Does a good job of not giving ground to his man as a post defender ... His length can cause opposing players to alter their shots at the rim ... Has the tools to become an effective defender against perimeter players in pick and roll defense ... When fully locked in has a junkyard dog type quality and ferocity to his play ... Confident player who believes in his abilities ... 

Weaknesses: Despite being very good at a young age, his upside is limited to a degree by his lack of great athletic ability ... Attitude is at best "immature" ... Can often be caught drifting or sleepwalking through numerous possessions ... Developed a bad reputation for his practice habits early in his college career ... Too often his motor runs hot and cold ... If the offense isn't running through him, do not expect him to give great effort or make much of an impact ... Will lose focus and let smaller defenders get him out of position ... Despite possessing great size and length he is no better than average as a rebounder ... Most of his rebounds come off of his own misses ... On the defensive glass he doesn't box out as much as he should, often leading to him losing rebounds to an opponent ... Not an elite level athlete. His length and strength makes up for it but he doesn't run fast or explode off the floor particularly well ... Needs to work on finishing through contact ... Has trouble scoring against longer defenders ... Defenders that match his strength are able to keep him out of the paint ... Improvement as a screener is necessary if he is to be successful at the next level ... Should not be viewed as a rim protector ... Lacks maturity and is prone to losing his cool as he did in the game against Wisconsin, slamming an opponents head against the floor, and drawing a one game suspension ... 

 

Link

[Final_quest]

Will be interesting, but have very little hope this guy will crack an NBA rotation.  Project bigs rarely pan out, especially if you don't play defense.  Will be pleasantly surprised if he brings anything.

[CP61]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/dleague/players/s/stonedi01d.html

i just now looked at Diamond's D-League stats. He must've been dominant. Magette was an al D-League 2nd teamed. Throw Bembry, Prince, Collins, Dorsey, Kaba, Cordinier. Who said the Hawks wouldn't be championship contenders this year?

[ATLSmith]

3 minutes ago, CP61 said:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/dleague/players/s/stonedi01d.html

i just now looked at Diamond's D-League stats. He must've been dominant. Magette was an al D-League 2nd teamed. Throw Bembry, Prince, Collins, Dorsey, Kaba, Cordinier. Who said the Hawks wouldn't be championship contenders this year?

Does the D-League have a championship?

"Whatever, ATLSmith" - Taylor

[DrReality]

Good FT stats.   Good sign. 

[CP61]

58 minutes ago, ATLSmith said:

Does the D-League have a championship?

"Whatever, ATLSmith" - Taylor

Yes it does but I meant a summer league championship. The most important one.

[BrazilianHawk]

How is the Summer League important?

[MrYellow]

1 hour ago, BrazilianHawk said:

How is the Summer League important?

Hype fuel at no cost.

[Thomas]

Its still roundball in the offseason with some young NBA players involved. Ours in particular. So whats not to like?

[BrazilianHawk]

Well I do enjoy watching the games and I cheer for the Hawks, of course, but I don't think it's important.

[ATLSmith]

1 minute ago, BrazilianHawk said:

Well I do enjoy watching the games and I cheer for the Hawks, of course, but I don't think it's important.

It's very important for players trying to make NBA rosters and for teams to evaluate how their young talent matches up against other young talent in the league.

Watch a few games.  You'll be surprised how easy it is to pick out the more talented players.

[EazyRoc]

Summer League champs! Another win for Schlenks resume