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Lamar Stevens: Junkyard Dog

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Is "It's Hedley!" Lamar Stevens Better than Dear Dean Wade?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 2 6.1%
  • No!

    Votes: 10 30.3%
  • I get that reference!

    Votes: 4 12.1%
  • I'd like to keep both

    Votes: 5 15.2%
  • I really don't like new Star Trek

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • Better at what? Dean is far superior at giving out hugs

    Votes: 4 12.1%
  • Lamar. Such a cool name!

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • Jim Chones

    Votes: 6 18.2%

  • Total voters
    33
Lady and I have finally been enjoying cavs games.. noticed how athletic and smooth he looked 5-10 games ago. Showing up in the box score now
 
While not a perennial Big Ten basketball powerhouse...

Lamar was on pace to become the all-time leading scorer at Penn State had the pandemic not hit in the middle of his senior season.
 

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I’ve made this comp before and I think others have too… but he reminds me a lot of another late bloomer defensive minded bulldog.

That would be PJ Tucker.

Stevens is an NBA player. That much is clear.
Lamar cedi Wade love is good bench. All useful players. I like a okoro Lamar tag team
I am probably alone here but I’m good with Goodwin as a third pg for now
Need to keep growing
 
The player comp that comes to my mind is Evan Turner if he had Evan Turner an effective midrange jumper. With a few less assists.

Both long armed guards with great ability to drive,stout on defense, and compete for their teammates super hard each night out.

 
Whats his best position? Is he a 3?
 
Whats his best position? Is he a 3?
I think so, can cover 2s but assuredly not a PF even in a small ball lineup obviously. However, his jumper is not yet that of a classic "shooting guard."

I do like the aspect that he readily takes smaller players into the post and gets great looks on back downs or kickouts to spot up shooters.

Which lends credence to him playing some 2 when coming off the bench... But I just see him and Cedi as "Wings" whereas I'd classify Dean Wade as a true Forward.

So much of it is simply semantics, {hell, Utah played with no center all of last night and simply went 5-Out on offense and spaced the floor for Conley, Mitchell and Clarkson to operate}

The real factor is can you play and compete effectively at the NBA level in the allotted minutes in the desired role the team expects? He is cementing this season that he is assuredly capable of such.
 
Damn is he jacked in that still image above. He seems kinda "stocky" to me now, like he can afford to drop 20 or so. With increased confidence coming out of this season, an offseason program might do even more wonders and we see an entirely different player next year.
 
I think so, can cover 2s but assuredly not a PF even in a small ball lineup obviously. However, his jumper is not yet that of a classic "shooting guard."

I do like the aspect that he readily takes smaller players into the post and gets great looks on back downs or kickouts to spot up shooters.

Which lends credence to him playing some 2 when coming off the bench... But I just see him and Cedi as "Wings" whereas I'd classify Dean Wade as a true Forward.

So much of it is simply semantics, {hell, Utah played with no center all of last night and simply went 5-Out on offense and spaced the floor for Conley, Mitchell and Clarkson to operate}

The real factor is can you play and compete effectively at the NBA level in the allotted minutes in the desired role the team expects? He is cementing this season that he is assuredly capable of such.

Lamar could absolutely play some small ball pf. Where he played in college. Now should he? No, we have plenty of players better suited for pf.

He is probably best at SF, but that is such an old school way of thinking where we have ridged positions. What Lamar do is switch on defense and he is starting to be able to hit an open jumper. His can play with his back to the basket when he has a smaller player like Steph on him, but he isnt a good ballhandler or passer, so he has limited ability to make a team truly pay which is partly why we lost at GS despite his numbers.

But to be clear, for his contract and UDFA I looove Lamar and have from day one. I will always want him as part of my team as he wont always be in a rotation, but when needed he proves he can play.
 
I think he's fine as far as fitness, 20 lbs would be drastic weight loss for a guy that tall. A sturdy build like he has can take more falls and bumps upon attacking the rim/paint on drives and cuts as he often does.

Losing drastic weight caused Love to become very brittle it seemed. If you drop weight quick tendons and bones can be far more likely to give out. I think with more minutes that he's now seeing his weight will balance out to "Playing Shape" instead of winter fat insulation in the frigid Midwest shape us fans all have a bit of. lol

Guys like Mobley and Cedi would kill to have similar builds to Lamar.

I do think Mobley is already vastly stronger than he was this summer & will assuredly bulk up in seasons ahead.
 
If Stevens can do this consistently....

That's the whole issue. Stevens played bully ball against a team lacking any semblance of interior defense, and not surprisingly, he had success. Good for him, but I'm not sure how easy that will be to replicate.

Okoro actually has been a better 3 points shooter than Stevens during their time with the Cavs, and more importantly, is only 20 v. 24 for Stevens. Defensively, Okoro guards 1-3, and Stevens 2-4.

I'd still stick with Okoro as the starter at the 2
If Steven's continues to develop, and especially if he improves his shot, he may be in the conversation for the 3.
 
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Stevens needs to take some of Finn's minutes when Okoro is back. Rondo and Okoro also need to share so Stevens gets about 20 minutes a game. But the biggest joke is Lauri playing 30+ minutes.
Stevens needs minutes if he does like this. But on Markkanen: as long as he is such a net positive on advanced stats someone else is losing minutes. It somehow seems opponents never get extended runs with Markks out there and thats how Bickerstaff have him on big minutes if his offense aint complete poop on some nights. In those games he has also been sitting more in the 2nd half.
 

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