Pretty solid breakdown from just watching highlights/looking at stats.... Just to clarify 2 things from watching him the past few years:
1. The mid range jump shots were a product of the Knicks inefficient system. He certainly does not actively look for mid range shots. I would actually suspect his lower FG% is more of a product of needing to finish stronger around the basket, which I would also guess is needing to get physically stronger.
2. "But I wasn't impressed that he didn't have the burst to blow by a 6'8" slow European guy." He's actually a very explosive athlete, but this comment doesn't surprise me as he's not yet explosive with the ball in his hands. I made the reference to how he beat blazer Dennis Smith JR in a foot race, but he can't hold a candle to DSJ with a ball in his hands.
His two biggest areas of growth are definitely strength/finishing around the rim, and ball handling
1. The mid range jump shots were a product of the Knicks inefficient system. He certainly does not actively look for mid range shots. I would actually suspect his lower FG% is more of a product of needing to finish stronger around the basket, which I would also guess is needing to get physically stronger.
2. "But I wasn't impressed that he didn't have the burst to blow by a 6'8" slow European guy." He's actually a very explosive athlete, but this comment doesn't surprise me as he's not yet explosive with the ball in his hands. I made the reference to how he beat blazer Dennis Smith JR in a foot race, but he can't hold a candle to DSJ with a ball in his hands.
His two biggest areas of growth are definitely strength/finishing around the rim, and ball handling
What I saw was a ton of contested mid-range jump shots which is the last shot you want your team to take. That's what got Sexton into a lot of trouble before he got the message that everything is either a layup or a 3-pointer. But OTOH, DeMar DeRozan has made a pretty decent career out of that contested 15-footer, so if you can make a high percentage of them....
I have to believe that tenacious perimeter defense is what attracted the Cavs, just like with Okoro. If he's holding opposing shooters to 38% he'll be our best defender right from Day 1 and it won't be close. Still, on a team with Sexton, Garland, Porter, Dellavedova, and Exum how many minutes is he going to get?
I like the fact that he had a positive +/- on one of the worst teams in basketball. His numbers suggest he's a better rebounder than most shooting guards. So...defense, rebounding, 3-point shooting - not a bad skill set.
On the highlight video I did notice that he was jacking up contested shots with an open teammate standing at the 3-point line. Maybe the shot clock was expiring in some cases. He seems like a good guy to have on the court with the shot clock expiring because he has a high arching shot that he can get off even with a bigger defender in his face and it doesn't appear to phase him - he keeps his form and the shot goes down. KPJ is another guy you can go to with three seconds on the clock and let him make a move and score one-on-one.
I'm wondering how explosive his first step is and how he finishes at the rim. This might be the first NBA highlight film I've seen without a single dunk. But there's nothing wrong with shouldering your way to the rim and creating enough separation to spin it in off the glass. You get two points just the same as a dunk.
There was one play where he was one-on-one against Cedi Osman, who we know is one of the worst defenders in the league. Dotson drove right but Cedi stayed with him and was right there to contest the layup, which Dotson made by banking it high off the glass. It was a really tough shot. But I wasn't impressed that he didn't have the burst to blow by a 6'8" slow European guy.
Anyway, good to hear he's unselfish offensively, is a good 3-point shooter, and plays mad dog defense. I can see why the Cavs pursued him but why would a guy looking for more minutes sign with a team that has three talented young guards who they are committed to developing?
I'll say this - with the addition of Okoro and Dotson plus Delly coming back there is going to be some very tough defense being played on the perimeter at Cavs' practices. These guys will make Sexton, Garland, and Porter really have to work for their buckets and push them to a higher level offensively. I read that Delly frustrated Kyrie at practices because he played him so tough defensively. The competition for playing time is going to be cutthroat. It will force everybody to up their games.
It also provides the Cavs some insurance if Porter goes off the rails. In fact, this signing might in part be a message; better stay between the lines because if you screw up we have somebody ready to step in.
It will also give JBB the option of using Dotson in the final minute when the Cavs need a stop and a rebound coming out of a time out. Once they get the stop they'll also have a solid 3-point shooter on the floor.
It will be interesting to see how many minutes he can force JBB to give him given the committment to the three young guards they already have.
Between Okoro, Dotson, and McGee the Cavs just added the two things they needed most; perimeter defense and rim protection. Like JBB said, it's a perimeter league. Only four out of 30 teams have a center or power forward who is their leading scorer. You need guys who can defend wings.