What I want to see out of Jalen...an honest assessment from a Stan.

[thecampster]

So everyone knows I've been a Jalen stan longer than @kg01 has used humor to deflect.  I've got some things I want to see going forward. Some opportunities for improvement.

Lets start with some defending of Jalen and then move into the criticisms.

1) Folks have criticized him getting burnt on defense. He is not as much as you think.  He is funneling to bigs who are out of position due to many of the things DJM's X message stated.  If you watch Jalen on D, there are times it looks like he's getting crossed or giving up the hard right lead dribble.  Jalen is attempting to give up one hand to overplay to the other, taking away the opponents favorite pullup. In most of these cases, the drive is coming to either side of the foul line or straight down the lane. If OO/Clint are playing in position, these should be drives right into them. If you want when Jalen is playing with Bruno on the floor, Bruno is getting blocks.  Bruno is playing to the scheme, OO/Clint are still covering for Trae.  I have done a 180 on Bruno. His team scheme positioning has been extremely solid.

2) Folks are criticizing Jalen passing up jumpers.  This is also by design.  Jalen is supposed to be forcing rotations as the 2/3rd ball handler. This means a quick pass, or an insta drive kick.  Again, Jalen is playing scheme. 

 

The above 2 tells you that Jalen is getting coached and he's listening to the coaching (see any Bey sucks thread for the alternative).

 

Now what I want to see.  

1) Jalen gives up on the offensive end too quickly after a shot, taking the coaching advice to get back early on D.  F' the coaches here. I want Jalen to start crashing the glass after every Bogi ISO, DJM ISO and every 3 no matter who is taking it. He is legit leaving 3 offensive rebounds a game on the floor (because he can outjump everyone). This is my number 1 disappointment with him. Crash the offensive glass, defensive scheme be damned. Let Bogi, Matthews, Trae, DJM, Bey, others get back. I want to see JJ go for the offensive rebound and if he doesn't get it, I want to see him pressure whoever does and force a turnover/slow pace.  We give up far too many runouts giving up on offensive boards.  JJ should be top 5 in the league on the offensive boards based on athleticism/instinct alone.  And if he does get the offensive board, I want to see him try to dunk that donut every time trying to draw a foul. That kid should be going to the line 5 times a game.

2) I want to see him getting more contact on his post attempts. Free throws, free throws, free throws. I want him trying to go right into people's chests like Giannis. Make the refs blow the whistle. Take the occasional offensive foul for it but stop letting people get away with slapping at your wrists. Punish someone so they start playing you different. Guards should not be stopping you from dunking...period.

3) I want to see him start bodying people up at the 3 point line. When the pick is coming, get right up the ball carrier with the body. Make the pick person stick to you so his man can trap. Stop trying to play the pick n roll like a small guard. Make them go around that 7 foot reach. Force the pick setter into some moving picks.  Make some folks nervous. Less finesse, more terrifying.

4) Start calling for the ball in on the block, back to the basket and use that to kick it out.  Get the ball out of DJM/Trae's hands so they stop getting doubled.  Become the center of the in/out game. Don't just sit in the corner and if the coaches complain, just tell them I told you to under penalty of a 3 hour lecture every time one of guards gives up a turnover due to getting doubled.

5) Learn to do interviews. He is almost as bad as Ebby Calvin (Nuke) Laloosh.  You come off the floor at half time, get a mic shoved in your face, make a joke, talk slower and use some canned responses. I actually heard him give a 1 word answer last week to a multi-part question.


See @Spud2nique I can want people to improve without recommending yoga/meditation.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Camp I agree. But I also give Jalen a pass, seeing that he's only played in 123 games and has only started 34 of them.  He's still learning the basics of NBA play while also trying to grasp whatever Quin is trying to teach him.

It may be a full year or two before Jalen plays like you want him to play.

Considering that he only played 1/2 year of college ball, spent his rookie and part of year 2 in the G-League, there's a whole lot he has to learn about his game, and the NBA game as a whole.

That's why we need experienced vets on this team where he can look and listen to them, instead of expecting him to learn everything by himself.

[kg01]

26 minutes ago, thecampster said:

So everyone knows I've been a Jalen stan longer than @kg01 has used humor to deflect... blah, blah, blah ..

Whats with this insider-on-outsider slander?

Everybody knows I was 1st on the J-'wagon.

You and @Sothron can fite it out for a distant 2nd. 

[GameTime]

The Trae-JJ PnR has the potential to literally be unstoppable given JJ's athleticism/shooting/passing/ballhandling skills. It needs to be used a lot more.

[NBASupes]

I see him making a lot of errors but he's not without blame to others as mentioned. The fact is, this scheme still is heavily protecting Trae on both ends.