Jimmer's Future in the NBA

[MarkGrace]

First, that he isn't the shot-maker Terry or Crawford is. Give me a break... if there is one thing that defines Jimmer's game it is that he is a shot-maker. It's who he his. It's what he does. Shot-making is what makes him special. Terry and Crawford are excellent shot makers, but Jimmer is ahead of where they were at the same age. As he said, they are quicker, but he's a more creative, crafty, scorer than either of them..

This is where all these comparisons get a bit confusing. Does he mean collegian vs. collegian? Where Jimmer is as a collegian versus what these guys can do in the NBA? What he think Jimmer will be as a shot-maker in the NBA vs. what these guys have already proven they are in the NBA? I'm not sure what to make of it.

That said, your comment reminds me a bit of what people said about Ammo coming out of college, as he was similarly deemed an exceptional shot-maker and one of the craftiest, creative and most clever scorers the college game had seen in a long time.

I think it's funny to watch BYU fans lose their shit when anyone mentions the "A-word," but I think we've all forgotten just how damn good Morrison was in college. The kid was a flat-out gifted scorer who could score all over the floor in a variety of ways. He could get to the hoop, he could pull up off the dribble, he could shoot it from deep, he could spot up, he could run off screens, he could create space off-ball, he could attack in iso -- the kid could score in every way conceivable and was one of the best pure scorers the college game had seen in years. He was feisty and aggressive and extremely competitive. As a Sr. he went for 28 ppg on 49.6% fg and 42.8% 3pt.

Some argued that he wasn't playing top competition, but people made the same arguments for him that we make for Jimmer now: entire defenses designed to stop him night in and night out and he still blew them up; scoring sprees versus very athletic teams; annihilating some of the nation's top and most athletic defenders like Rodney Carney; etc.

Here are some comments from draft sites when he was coming out:

Morrison’s shot is technically perfect from a mechanical perspective. In the drills he shot it identically every time, with an incredibly quick release and a super high release point that makes it extremely difficult to block or alter when taking his size and the elevation he gets on his shot into consideration.

Morrison’s immense offensive repertoire was on full display, as he scored in nearly every way possible. He was hitting three-pointers, spotting or pulling up. He was taking it to the hole by both cuts and one-on-one penetration. He posted up, he pulled up for mid-range jumpers, and despite the mass of attention he received from Xavier’s defense, still found a way to score 35 points.

College basketball hasn’t seen a player with Adam Morrison’s natural feel for the game in a very long time. Obviously Morrison knows how to score the basketball, but his instincts make him much, much more than just that. Mentally, he is just a step ahead of everybody else on the floor.

The first thing that you notice about Morrison is his ability to score. He understands how to create his own shot better than anybody we've seen at the college level in years. Not only does utilize contact and spacing better than any player in the country, he has also mastered the art of the contested jumpshot. If he is able to get a step going toward the basket, the defense might as well give up. He is going to get a shot off, and whether or not it goes in has little to do with a hand in his face.

Morrison nails Nowitzki-style turnaround fadeaways with ease, and is very comfortable throwing up one-handed floaters on the move from 10-15 feet. These types of shots (that the average player would get benched for even attempting) are what Morrison has built his legend on, and are the main reason for the controversial Larry Bird comparisons.

Already mentioned was the fact that if Adam Morrison gets a step on his man, he is literally unguardable.

Morrison’s shot is a thing of beauty. He uses multiple release points, and is able to get it off in an almost limitless number of ways. When you realize the technical mastery behind Morrison's form, it makes a bit more sense when those freakishly difficult fadeaways start dropping.

Adam Morrison’ ability to read and exploit defenses in the blink of an eye, combined with his formidable shot creating tools allows him to be one of the most feared clutch scorers in the country. Morrison has earned his reputation as a guy that always hits the big shot (see games against Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Stanford), and relishes the pressure that comes with that “go-to” role.

That will to win is just one more thing that sets Morrison apart, and adds to his national appeal. While he sometimes takes his scrappy, fiery demeanor a bit too far, Morrison is always the most competitive player on the court. He will do anything to win, and his emotional on-court displays electrify both his team and the crowd.

A special talent ... Old school right down to the stripes on the socks ... Like a coach on the floor ... Incredibly competitive ... The game comes very easily to him ... A great player in the half court ... Can create offense for himself or others ... Really excels with the ball in his hands at the top of the key ... Very good scorer with complete offensive repertoire ... Effortless shooting stroke ... Has great anticipation and basketball understanding ... Great intangibles, competes and inspires others to play hard ... Hard worker ... Plays with great intensity and aggressiveness ...

Although he is not a big-time athlete, he is deceptively quick and is really tough. He's not afraid of anyone and will not back down. He has all the tricks -- he will hold, grab or push off to get an edge; he will do whatever it takes to win. Morrison may not be every GM's cup of tea, but teams better be careful if they pass on him. He has been a scorer his whole career, and nothing will change in the NBA.

Anyway, Morrison is a bust so everyone gets offended when you reference his name in a comparison to Jimmer and you get a laundry list of reasons why Jimmer is not going to be Ammo. The thing is, most everything on that list are the same reasons Adam Morrison wasn't going to be Adam Morrison.

I'm not saying Jimmer's going to be a complete bust, but there's certainly that possibility (there always is) and I find the meltdown funny when people even make the suggestion as if it's not even in the realm of consideration. You read through their strengths/weaknesses on draft sites right now and they look eerily similar, though someone will inevitably say "terrible comparison, they play nothing alike!"

Second, I'm not convinced Stephen Curry deserves to be called a "special" passer. He averages just 6 assists and 3 TOs - and that is on a fast paced team where it should be a bit easier to rack up assists. He averaged 5 assists to Jimmer's 4 in his senior season of college. I think to separate Curry from Jimmer due to Curry's superior passing ability is incredibly weak.

Yeah, I don't get this either. I would be interested in asking him to give a more detailed description of how he got to this conclusion. Obviously a baseline comparison of APG doesn't tell you all you need to know about a guy as a passer, so maybe there's something else he's considering, but I've never seen anything out of Steph that suggests he's a special passer.