Okay, I must admit, for a while, I would roll my eyes when I'd see posters talk about how great our young guys could be. Sure, I figured they had potential, but here in Portland, I'm used to guys not living up to their potential.
But the things we've seen over the last couple of weeks? Telfair is more than holding his own at the hardest position in the league, yet he's 19. And many of his mistakes are those that are relatively easy to correct. And Outlaw? Dude doesn't do a lot basketball-wise that is special. The kid is pure athleticism. Wait 'til he learns the game. That could be something special. And Khryapa is as advertised. He is a hustle player. I see him as a longer Stacey Augmon, which is quite fine by me. Augmon was solid defensively and did all the things that did not show up in the stat book, but then he was able to score when needed.
I have to admit, I'm starting to get a bit excited. I think the future is pretty bright, and I think the future will come sooner than most would have anticipated. I realize I neglected to mention guys like Monia or Ha, both whom definitely have a lot of potential. But I'm focusing on the young guys who are ready to contribute NOW.
If only we could get our other two young guys to play with the same flair and passion....
But the things we've seen over the last couple of weeks? Telfair is more than holding his own at the hardest position in the league, yet he's 19. And many of his mistakes are those that are relatively easy to correct. And Outlaw? Dude doesn't do a lot basketball-wise that is special. The kid is pure athleticism. Wait 'til he learns the game. That could be something special. And Khryapa is as advertised. He is a hustle player. I see him as a longer Stacey Augmon, which is quite fine by me. Augmon was solid defensively and did all the things that did not show up in the stat book, but then he was able to score when needed.
I have to admit, I'm starting to get a bit excited. I think the future is pretty bright, and I think the future will come sooner than most would have anticipated. I realize I neglected to mention guys like Monia or Ha, both whom definitely have a lot of potential. But I'm focusing on the young guys who are ready to contribute NOW.
If only we could get our other two young guys to play with the same flair and passion....