[HKF]

I was talking to Coatesvillain about this earlier today, but I just wanted to make mention of that amazing 2004 NBA class and how some of them are really starting to break out and become solid NBA players.

While Luol Deng, Dwight Howard, Ben Gordon, Andre Iguodala, Chris Duhon, Emeka Okafor, Josh Smith, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson, Shaun Livingston, JR Smith, Kris Humphries, Josh Childress, Sebastian Telfair and Anderson Varejao have proven that they can at least be viable NBA players whether as starters or key cogs of a team in a backup role.

However, I wanted this thread to discuss players who are finally showing their salt in the league that are 2nd year players that I had faith in.

Kirk Snyder, Robert Swift, Kevin Martin, Andris Biedrins and Delonte West. I have been watching league pass on my neighbor's television in the last couple of weeks and while West to me is the ideal 3rd guard (6th man) on an NBA team, the rest of these guys are really looking like solid starters.

I just wanted to know if anyone else has been watching their progress, especially Martin and Snyder. I am very happy to see Martin playing well because I felt he was very Kerry Kittles-like but he seems to be in better health than Kerry was and he's been scoring 20 plus.

Byron Scott has seemed to unearth Kirk Snyder's game and I am shocked at how good he's becoming. He's looking like he can become a solid 18 ppg scorer in the league.

What does anyone else think? Just interested in their progress and others opinions on them.

[Cinco de Mayo]

Kevin Martin buried Memphis last week almost by himself until Brad Miller's little long-range outburst (thanks Violet, btw). He had a reputation as a dynamite scorer in college, but so does just about every other wing player in the league. But he's been showing flashes that he can do it on the pro level in the wake of Bonzi Wells' injury.

I was impressed.

And HKF, you know how I feel about Kirk Snyder as a personality. It looks as if he's living up to his potential on the floor right now though.

[Blazer Freak]

Yeah, Martin and Synder have really caught my attention this season. I knew Martin wasn't gonna be a bad player, but I didn't think he'd be putting up 20 a night so consistently so soon. Synder has also seemed to have come alive in NOK.

I just wish we could see Telfair start again. If you look at his month by month stats before the thumb injury, his stats were increasing every month. I just hope he gets another chance this season, and he should the way our guards have been playing.

[HKF]

Originally Posted by Rawse

Kevin Martin buried Memphis last week almost by himself until Brad Miller's little long-range outburst (thanks Violet, btw). He had a reputation as a dynamite scorer in college, but so does just about every other wing player in the league. But he's been showing flashes that he can do it on the pro level in the wake of Bonzi Wells' injury.

I was impressed.

I had made this comment in the Kings forum, but with Artest, Martin and Cisco, they are going to have a hell of a swingman rotation in Cow town. The thing is, I think Sacramento will be title contenders next year because of it. He really has **** game.

And HKF, you know how I feel about Kirk Snyder as a personality. It looks as if he's living up to his potential on the floor right now though.

I don't think he's a person to hang out and share your sentiment. We have spoke at length about him in the past. All I'll say is I hope he continues to play well because his last few ball games have been really impressive and as I told Theo!, he's playing well, but it's not big stats on crappy team, it's helping the Hornets to the 6th/7th seed right now.

Some big stuff.

[Blazer Freak]

Just saw HKF's sig and I have been wondering this for a bit, but what happened with Deron Williams. He went from starting to a bench player.

[Ruff Draft]

Kirk Snyder looks to me like a small Ron Artest and Kerry Kittles is a nice comparison for Kevin Martin.

[HKF]

Originally Posted by Blazer Freak

Just saw HKF's sig and I have been wondering this for a bit, but what happened with Deron Williams. He went from starting to a bench player.

If he didn't play well for a good portion of the beginning of the year, I'd be concerned, but I'm also not willing to give up on Deron. There were people who told me Danny Granger was going to suck. Well he has become indispensible for Indiana.

Deron will turn it up sooner or later.

[Cinco de Mayo]

Originally Posted by HKF

I had made this comment in the Kings forum, but with Artest, Martin and Cisco, they are going to have a hell of a swingman rotation in Cow town. The thing is, I think Sacramento will be title contenders next year because of it. He really has **** game.

Yeah, Francisco's already showing more than Martin showed in his rookie year. I don't think either of those two are going to be stars, but they're a very solid little platoon that will just eat you alive if you overlook them.

I hope Bonzi didn't buy a house in Sactown, but I don't think even he thought this would be any more than a one-year thing.

Come to think of it, I really don't see what Bonzi brings that separates him from the myriad of young wing-scorers coming into the league, other than his garbage attitude. Hopefully, he gets healthy and shapes up in the locker room and on the court, because there's guys like Martin and Garcia coming into the league every year that make Wells that much more expendable.

[Scinos]

Robert Swift has been great. All he needed was some time on the court to build up confidence, and he was away. He's now averaging about 8 ppg, 8 rpg and 2 bpg as a starter.

Definitely not the typical white big man either. He's out there throwing down alley-oops, grabbing rebounds above the rim, etc.

[Mavs Maniac]

Robert Swift brings more to the table than the shock factor of his face, he is only 20 years old yet since he became the starter for the Sonics he is averaging 8.4 PPG (53% FG), 8.3 RPG and 1.65 BPG - no matter how you slice it that is impressive for any player in the league (27 minutes per game).

He is also not your prototypical center/stiff, despite his look he is quite athletic.

Swift is going to be a major player in the future, Sonics had a nice pick in him. If Collison can also improve his game, then the Sonics will have a great frontline. The first time since Shawn Kemp? (Just realized, Collison is 5 years older than Rob)


That's nasty.