Quote:
Originally Posted by G-Man
Roddy suffers from some the the same stuff we saw when Devin Harris was a rookie...blinding speed that he does not yet know how to moderate... ideas for passes but not quite the skill to execute them. Problem for Harris the rookie is the way Nellie jerked him around, in part because he was pissed he lost his real son, Steve Nash. We have to hope that RC has the coaching skill to bring him along without screwing up his head like Nellie and Avery did DH.
Pop was able to coach the rookie Tony Parker to a championship in his 1st year. Roddy may have as much talent, but he's more raw. The ball is in RC's court to develop him. I think starting him in JHo's absence is a great move. We will need his speed when the playoffs roll around
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One week later and I have to revise most of what I said on page 1. RoBeau (french for Robo) is far more advanced that DH was at this stage. He's got a wide range of shots, from the 3, a mid-range jumper, and several different flip shots to get the the hole around shot-blockers. He shows and equal ability to break down defenses, but much more skill at passing out to teammates who got open because he draws the entire defense into the lane, chasing him.
I already see him learning to modulate his speed...something it took DH 2 years to get. Sadly Harris development was delayed because he missed a ton of games almost every year with injuries. I notice RoBeau doesn't just fling himself into the bigs...he twists around them, then flings those long arms up to lay the ball into the net. The kid has mad body control.
I was really happy to see someone found a quote of him being excited about playing defense, because he has a great body and foot speed galore to make himself a defensive terror.
It is possible RoBeau's game comes back to earth as teams learn to game plan to slow him down. It is also entirely possible, with the right coaching, that by the end of the year he'll be as good as Harris. Remember when they drafted Harris with the idea that Nash would train him? Instead, we end up with a kid who's just as fast and maybe more talented, being groomed by JKidd. I'm sure this is just what Donnie had planned all along.
All Hail Roddy Beau!