Hopeful Comparisons for Zags to Strive For

[BobZag]

Make comparisons to players who you hope various Zags can hopefully be similar to at some point in their careers, be it next season or beyond.

For instance--

I'd like to see Meech be similar to Ty Lawson in pushing the pace, driving to the hole and being a floor general, plus his sticky defense. While Meech is clutch and has a mid-range game, I think it'd be unfair to expect him to be the 3-point shooter that Lawson is.

Bouldin...?
Gray...?
Daye...?
Sacre...?
Poling...?
Gibbs...?
Dower, I hope and do think he can be very similar to Purdue's Jujuan Johnson.
Elias Harris, former Texas Longhorn PJ Tucker?
Kong...?
Arop...?
Olynyk...?

What player does each have a chance to be like, or do you hope can be like?

[doctorzag]

Kelly O = Kyle Singler + 2 inches

[CDC84]

Ty Lawson was not a very good long range shooter when he first arrived at UNC. He made himself into a great shooter. He's yet another example of how you can improve in this area with enough coaching, discipline, and practice. But it took Lawson 3 years to reach his goal. Zag fans certainly can't expect Meech to get a jump shot overnight. It's going to take time.

Bol Kong....Luol Deng - another Sudanese product.

[cggonzaga]

Bouldin=Manu Ginobili. Get even more aggressive and use his intelligence to make up for his lack of great athleticism. Don't disappear in the big games.

Gray=Ray Allen. improve that jump shot and develop a scorer's mentality.

Daye=Kevin Durant. Start dominating and become the star he should be.

Sacre=Tyson Chandler. Get all the boards, block shots, be a tremendous defender. Score to keep defenses honest.

Kong=Rudy Gay. Be a great athlete with huge upside. score, defend, rebound

Arop=Dwayne Wade. lock down defender, great rebounder for a guard, develop offensive game

Harris=Erroll Knight. exactly the same but better scorer

Poling=Bill Lambier. be the enforcer. clean up the glass.

[BobZag]

Ty Lawson was not a very good long range shooter when he first arrived at UNC. He made himself into a great shooter. He's yet another example of how you can improve in this area with enough coaching, discipline, and practice. But it took Lawson 3 years to reach his goal. Zag fans certainly can't expect Meech to get a jump shot overnight. It's going to take time.

Bol Kong....Luol Deng - another Sudanese product.

Good point on Lawson, but isn't Deng like 6'10" or thereabouts?

cg, love the comparison for Bouldin and Olynyk. I was thinking Michael Dunleavy, too for Olynyk.

[CDC84]

Deng is 6-9, but he seems more like 6-8 to me. Still, Kong is definitely shorter.

Bouldin at times reminds me of Deron Williams, but there are probably better comparisons.

[Angelo Roncalli]

I spit some of my diet coke on the keyboard when I read the Poling Lambier comparison.

I see Poling being more like Zach Gourde (with some more height). Andy is developing a nice collection of nifty inside moves. Sorry, I just don't see him being much of an enforcer like Laimbeer was.

[xjzico]

I hope Arop is combination of Quincy Pondexter and Bobby Jones, a harassing wing defender who can stick an occasional jumper and open set shot, crash the boards and get second chance/garbage baskets via his length and hustle.

[229SintoZag]

Bouldin=Manu Ginobili. Get even more aggressive and use his intelligence to make up for his lack of great athleticism. Don't disappear in the big games.

Gray=Ray Allen. improve that jump shot and develop a scorer's mentality.

Daye=Kevin Durant. Start dominating and become the star he should be.

Sacre=Tyson Chandler. Get all the boards, block shots, be a tremendous defender. Score to keep defenses honest.

Kong=Rudy Gay. Be a great athlete with huge upside. score, defend, rebound

Arop=Dwayne Wade. lock down defender, great rebounder for a guard, develop offensive game

Harris=Erroll Knight. exactly the same but better scorer

Poling=Bill Lambier. be the enforcer. clean up the glass.

I think if we had a team with guys who play like Kevin Durant, Tyson Chandler, Rudy Gay, Dwayne Wade, Ginobli, and Ray Allen, we are a lock for the national title next year.

[lothar98zag]

I think if we had a team with guys who play like Kevin Durant, Tyson Chandler, Rudy Gay, Dwayne Wade, Ginobli, and Ray Allen, we are a lock for the national title next year.

works for me. where's the FF @ in 2010? need to make plane reservations now...

[pbriz]

Bouldin=Manu Ginobili. Get even more aggressive and use his intelligence to make up for his lack of great athleticism. Don't disappear in the big games.

Gray=Ray Allen. improve that jump shot and develop a scorer's mentality.

Daye=Kevin Durant. Start dominating and become the star he should be.

Sacre=Tyson Chandler. Get all the boards, block shots, be a tremendous defender. Score to keep defenses honest.

Kong=Rudy Gay. Be a great athlete with huge upside. score, defend, rebound

Arop=Dwayne Wade. lock down defender, great rebounder for a guard, develop offensive game

Harris=Erroll Knight. exactly the same but better scorer

Poling=Bill Lambier. be the enforcer. clean up the glass.

These are all very good. I think Daye could be more in the mold of Tayshawn Prince and Harris could develop into a Raymar Morgan type (hopefulyl without the attitude).

[cggonzaga]

I think if we had a team with guys who play like Kevin Durant, Tyson Chandler, Rudy Gay, Dwayne Wade, Ginobli, and Ray Allen, we are a lock for the national title next year.

hahahahahahahhahaha. Hey, these were just "hopeful comparisions to strive for".

[MDABE80]

Ty Lawson was not a very good long range shooter when he first arrived at UNC. He made himself into a great shooter. He's yet another example of how you can improve in this area with enough coaching, discipline, and practice. But it took Lawson 3 years to reach his goal. Zag fans certainly can't expect Meech to get a jump shot overnight. It's going to take time.

Bol Kong....Luol Deng - another Sudanese product.

EXACTLY!!! Meech's future would be so enhanced if he shoots 700 long bombs daily. He needs to have the discipline to make the basket his friend from everywhere. It takes time but this is the glaring deficiency he has. Ball handling, dribble, etc will improve with experience. The FT's and the mid to long game will only be learned if he works on those two items. Take time but he'll generate his own future.

[BobZag]

I hope Arop is combination of Quincy Pondexter and Bobby Jones, a harassing wing defender who can stick an occasional jumper and open set shot, crash the boards and get second chance/garbage baskets via his length and hustle.

Right on. This is one of the best in the thread thus far.

[BobZag]

Having not seen Gibbs that much, here's hoping he can be a Bobby Frasor type or Blake Stepp. Jon Sheyer is another, but I don't know if Gibbs shoots it that well.