OO future with Atlanta??

[Diesel]

He's not a Center.  He plays one on TV but he's the same height as Dre and about a little heavier than Saddiq.  He doesn't have a strong PF game.   He's a throwback now.. being that small ball is now becoming obsolete.  The problem is that the NBA is caught between a push and a Pull.   Jokic, Embiid, Wimby, are bringing back the Big Center.   Draymond, Clint, and other 6'10 and under are being escorted out the door.   If you're under 6'11, you better have some game that is beyond the paint.  Game like Sabonis and Hoford.   Unfortunately, OO doesn't have that game. 

So what becomes of the small ball C like OO who can shoot a little?

The draft is filled with talented Bigs. 

Maybe Not Edey.. he's plods too much.  The NBA game may be too fast for him. 

But Sarr, Filipowski, Missi,  are all coming to the league.  Ulrich Comochoe is coming. Big Z may be coming. 

The real Bigs are on the way.. to join Chet, Mark, and the rest. 

Where does that leave OO?

 

[kg01]

Is he a rich man's Taj Gibson? 

[NBASupes]

I love OO and I think he has a future here. His salary ain't that much but I have a hard time seeing him as a long-term starter. I still think PF is his best position as a starter but with him struggling with switches and perimeter defense, I am less optimistic than I was previously. 

Edited February 27 by NBASupes

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

Game like Sabonis and Hoford. 

Supes? How you gonna say Sabonis and Horford in one sentence. 

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

Big Z may be coming. 

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is making a comeback? Holy @kg01 let’s get tickets !!!  

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

Where does that leave OO?

He’s got the corner 3 and the D and he’s a quick twitch big. He just needs to learn how to use his quickness to his advantage against the taller dudes you mentioned.

 

For how far along he is now, he’s got some work to do this summer and beyond. He needs to add more I agree.

 

[Diesel]

6 hours ago, kg01 said:

Is he a rich man's Taj Gibson? 

That's an interesting question.

In his most effective season....  Gibson put up 13/7/1 in 28 mpg.   As he has gotten older, he has done as well as 39.5 % from 3 on about 1 attempt per game.   Plus he's 6'9/232 and plays good defense.  If OO doesn't improve his numbers, then at least statistically, he may be another Taj Gibson. 

 

[Diesel]

5 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

He’s got the corner 3 and the D and he’s a quick twitch big. He just needs to learn how to use his quickness to his advantage against the taller dudes you mentioned.

 

For how far along he is now, he’s got some work to do this summer and beyond. He needs to add more I agree.

 

Let me put it more plain.  He's 6'8 235..  His shot blocking is really good.  His defense is mediocre.  His offense is slow.   The offense is not what we need him to anchor.  It's great that he can hit the occasional corner three.  But his 34% from 3 isn't scaring anybody we face.  The problem becomes when he's matched up with somebody like Chet Holmgreen.  A guy that can dominate the paint on defense and on offense, can post up OO. 

My hope had been that OO would learn defense from CC.   But CC's defense is really experience and instinct.  I've watched OO get lost on switches.  I have watched him stay away from his assigned position too long.  I have watched him not be able to read what the offense is doing.  I know.. that reading part and the knowing where to be on defense comes with experience.   However, he's looked so bad in some cases, that I have questioned his BBIQ.  Maybe it's Quin.  I don't know if Quin is actually teaching defense.   Before I go on my Diatribe about Quin, I have to go back to the topic...

OO is in a bad spot.   We signed him on a really good contract.  He's a very nice BU.   But he's not good enough to be a Starting PF and he's not big enough to be a starting C.   Watch out for Bruno!

 

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

Watch out for Bruno!

You gonna end with that? 
 

The rest made sense but you can’t slip in Bruno for OO. No, just no. I like Bruno but no.

 

Having said that, OO needs to speed up his game meaning add things to it. He needs to make himself more of a threat on offense I agree. 
 

Honestly, I thought OO would be ready to roll in his 3rd year but we are now in year 4. Time is ticking…

[JayBirdHawk]

15 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Honestly, I thought OO would be ready to roll in his 3rd year but we are now in year 4. Time is ticking…

This.

[Afro]

Man, we really wasted 3 straight lottery picks... Not even complaining about not getting "star" talent. We barely got a single above average starter with 3 lottery picks(plus some for the Dre trade) 

*Hunter is a fine player, but he's injured way too much to be good value for that pick. 

[AHF]

This is where I really hate OO's recent injury.  Wanted to see him start the rest of the year and see how that went.

[NBASupes]

OO is a tremendous iso defender for the most part. That's more valuable in the playoffs.

[KB21]

I think this is a case of something I've noticed for years, even when Al was playing center.  We have Hawks fans who are convinced that you have to be 7'0" to be a center with little attention paid to how the player actually plays.  

We are a much better team with OO on the floor than with him off the floor.  That's a fact that is proven with the stats.  The offense flows much better with him on the floor, and we are much more versatile on defense with him.  The centers in the NBA that can legitimately give him trouble can be counted on one hand.  

We should not sacrifice movement ability and versatility for height.  If you can find a 7-footer that can move well, switch, hedge and recover as well as rim protect, then by all means get him.  There aren't many "traditional sized" centers that can actually do that.  

[NBASupes]

1 minute ago, KB21 said:

I think this is a case of something I've noticed for years, even when Al was playing center.  We have Hawks fans who are convinced that you have to be 7'0" to be a center with little attention paid to how the player actually plays.  

We are a much better team with OO on the floor than with him off the floor.  That's a fact that is proven with the stats.  The offense flows much better with him on the floor, and we are much more versatile on defense with him.  The centers in the NBA that can legitimately give him trouble can be counted on one hand.  

We should not sacrifice movement ability and versatility for height.  If you can find a 7-footer that can move well, switch, hedge and recover as well as rim protect, then by all means get him.  There aren't many "traditional sized" centers that can actually do that.  

He's an elite man defender for on bigs. No question about that. This is an incredible post. 

[Mikey]

They have a high quality starter on a great contract for the next 4 years. Think too many people are focused on is he a pf or center. He’s a starter on this team moving forward and they need to find the guy to compliment him and Jalen both of which compliment each other really well already 

[Diesel]

2 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

You gonna end with that? 
 

The rest made sense but you can’t slip in Bruno for OO. No, just no. I like Bruno but no.

 

Having said that, OO needs to speed up his game meaning add things to it. He needs to make himself more of a threat on offense I agree. 
 

Honestly, I thought OO would be ready to roll in his 3rd year but we are now in year 4. Time is ticking…

The end was a nod for BUs...  not starting.  If OO is a BU and we have Bruno at much cheaper... Bruno has shown that he can be aggressive and even serviceable.  It leads to the place where OO in the right circumstance can be used as part of a trade because we have a servicable cheap Big in Bruno who can hold down the BU minutes. 

 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, Afro said:

Man, we really wasted 3 straight lottery picks...

Building through the draft is difficult.   Even near the top of the lottery.   You have to be in the right draft (I don't think OO's draft class was that spectacular) and then you have to have an eye for what you need.  Our Former GM was a guy who was raised in a small ball system.   I don't think he cared as much about size as he did about skillset.   Like I said in the open, the game is evolving again or revolving back.  Skilled Bigs with Big bodies are on the rise.  There are lots of them and they are coming.  Even with his ability to guard smaller players, OO's major problem becomes the big bodies.   We applauded him for being able to hang with Giannis as a rookie.   Well, Giannis is not as physical as many of the bigs that he would have to face.  Even with that showing, he still was not capable of matching up well with Brook Lopez.   We all know.. Clint is gone.   So there is no where else to hide.   OO has one shot.

 

 

[Diesel]

19 minutes ago, KB21 said:

I think this is a case of something I've noticed for years, even when Al was playing center.  We have Hawks fans who are convinced that you have to be 7'0" to be a center with little attention paid to how the player actually plays.  

We are a much better team with OO on the floor than with him off the floor.  That's a fact that is proven with the stats.  The offense flows much better with him on the floor, and we are much more versatile on defense with him.  The centers in the NBA that can legitimately give him trouble can be counted on one hand.  

We should not sacrifice movement ability and versatility for height.  If you can find a 7-footer that can move well, switch, hedge and recover as well as rim protect, then by all means get him.  There aren't many "traditional sized" centers that can actually do that.  

Better is subjective.

Sure offense is a little better because OO can help spread the floor and he's a good runner for when we do play transition.   Whereas Clint and Bruno are more paint localized.    However, defensively.... OO is not HIM.  He blocks shots and fans get excited.. but he misses lots of assignments and he's totally plastered against some of the bigs who can move. I don't disagree with you on looking for a agile Big who can move...  I'm saying that those guys are coming. 

 

[Diesel]

12 minutes ago, Mikey said:

They have a high quality starter on a great contract for the next 4 years. Think too many people are focused on is he a pf or center. He’s a starter on this team moving forward and they need to find the guy to compliment him and Jalen both of which compliment each other really well already 

I agree that he has a great contract.   I disagree that he's starter quality. 

@kg01 called him a well to do Taj Gibson.  Unless he shows more, that's exactly who he is.